Darkest Nyx
by Kitty Kat 277
Summary: Jek is starting a war against the Irkens, and Nyx is working with her team to get allies from the conquered planets who can control shadows-Shadow Masters. Nyx is the Darkest-a weapon of mass destruction. What will happen? Read and Review.
1. The Mission

Okay, here goes my first fic with an OC in it….hope you guys like it!

**Darkest Nyx**

_Darkness. Destruction. Chaos. Murder._

The words raced through the Irken's mind, never stopping. She sighed, and her SIR hopped up, sensing her distress.

"What's wrong boss?" she asked.

"Just worried about the mission….." Nyx sighed, leaning back in her pilot chair.

"Don't worry about it! The Tallest know what they're doing. It's not like they're sending you on a death mission or anything. And besides, you've already proved that you can conquer a planet-fighting some shadows shouldn't be any harder!" Mira said, grinning eagerly.

Nyx looked at her curiously. "You do know that we're not only fighting shadows, right? We're fighting they're masters, too."

"Yeah, of course I know that….but keep in mind that you're a Shadow Master too. That means you'll be able to bend the will of the shadows so they listen to you!"

Nyx glared at her SIR. "Did you even pay attention when the Tallest explained?"

Mira's mood dropped an inch. She spoke to her feet when she said, "…..not really…."

Nyx sighed. Now she'd have to explain about shadows _again. _

"Okay, I'll start from the beginning. Everyone has a shadow, and everyone can see it, right?"

"Right!" Mira said, listening for once.

"Well, some of us can control our shadows, and the shadows of others around us. They're called Shadow Masters. I'm a Shadow Master."

"No way." Mira said sarcastically. If Nyx wasn't a Shadow Master, she wouldn't have been assigned this mission.

"There aren't many Shadow Masters, and that is mostly because some don't know they are. Those who do know are thought of as strange, and most consider themselves outcasts. Some start groups so they can be together, and not stand out from the crowd."

Now they were getting into territory Mira didn't know.

"One of these groups kept itself secret for years, and only recently have we found out what its been up to. They call themselves Midnight Riders. The leaders are Shadow Masters, and they have a way of controlling normal people. They have created a machine that takes the shadow of a person, and are able to control the owners."

"How's that?" Mira asked.

"Well, you're shadow is you're other half, so if your other half was missing, you'd do anything to get it back, obey the captor, fight, even kill. The Midnight Riders want to capture as many shadows as possible, so they can eventually enslave the universe."

"Wow….when do we come into play?" Mira asked, trying to actually take in what she was hearing for once.

"Well, one of them, the main leader Jek, is the little bitc-"

"Language." Mira reminded.

"Grrrr….ok, he's the guy that ordered for Cyrus to be captured….." Nyx sighed.

"Who's Cyrus?" Mira asked, wondering why Nyx hadn't brought him up before.

Nyx's eyes clouded over, and she looked down.

"He's my fiancé." she whispered softly.

Mira's eyes softened. "Hey, it's ok, just tell me what happened so I can understand, kay boss?"

Nyx wiped her mismatched eyes (one was dark green, one was purple).

"Okay….Cyrus and I were going to be married. He's Irken to, by the way. We were two weeks away from the wedding, when he left for a trip. He didn't know he'd be taking it; some guy came to our house and told him where he'd be staying…he left soon, believing it was a vacation, given to him by the Tallest….but it wasn't. I called him…he didn't answer…I told myself maybe he wasn't allowed to have his phone on him….a week later, he still wasn't back. "

Some of the tears spilled, and Mira wiped them away, murmuring words of reassurance to her master.

"I decided to ask the Tallest about where he was…but when I asked them, they didn't know what I was talking about…later that day, they received a transmission from Jek that Cyrus and many other Irkens were being held hostage….they were going to be test subjects for a new p-project…"

Nyx cried into Mira's shoulder now, and Mira patted her on the back, crying a little too.

"…they were g-going to sever their shadows away…but, something w-went wrong….one of the machines wasn't hooked, or maybe they did it just to torment the Irkens watching…but anyway you p-put it….the machine malfunctioned…everyone of them was killed….I saw it all….I saw…my love die…."

"Oh, boss, I'm so sorry…I never knew…" Mira whispered, holding Nyx's hand as she sobbed. They stayed that way for a while, the ship driving on autopilot.

After almost a half hour, Nyx looked up from Mira's shoulder, eyes red and swollen. She had a deadly gleam in her eyes.

"He will pay. Jek will be punished for murdering them all. We're going to destroy him and all of the Midnight Riders, even if it takes the rest of my life, the rest of eternity even…."

As Nyx spoke, a shadow crawled out from under her chair. It was Nyx's, jet black in color with glowing green and purple eyes. The shadow wreathed around its master, eyes narrow and shining. Its mouth opened, and it said in synchrony with Nyx:

"We will have revenge."


	2. Not Trusted

Okay, my sister told me you have to do a 'disclaimer'….I didn't even know what that was for almost three weeks after I wrote my first story….

(Disclaimer: I do not own Invader Zim. The only characters I own are Nyx and Mira…and there will be two more characters introduced towards the end….there, happy fan fiction?)

**Chapter Two: Not Trusted**

_On Earth, several years have passed since Zim landed on Earth. He has become taller, a result of living on Earth for so long. Dib is now sixteen, and Gaz is now fourteen. There will be many changed Points of View, because I couldn't decide on just one…enjoy!_

Zim's POV

Zim was sitting at his desk, balancing a pencil on his lip while Dib tried to convince the guy sitting next to him that Zim was an alien.

Zim was used to this, and so were his classmates. Dib had been trying to expose him for years now, and almost had a few times. Zim wouldn't admit that though.

_Stupid big-headed human_, Zim thought, _If anything, he's making the other worms think he's the alien._

Zim pictured Dib as an Irken, then burst out laughing at the ridiculous image.

Ms. Bitters, who had been transferred to the High Skool, materialized in front of Zim (who dropped his pencil in surprise).

"What are you laughing about, Zim?" she hissed.

_Crap, did I really just do that? _Zim thought, _Well, I better make up an excuse…can't say I'm laughing about Dib being Irken in front of humans._

"Dib's hair." Zim said simply. Dib glared at him.

"We all know Dib has weird hair-"

"Hey!" Dib jutted in

"-but that doesn't mean you can just laugh like a maniac in the middle of my class. It makes you look like an alien or something."

"He is!" Dib yelled. Ms. Bitters ignored him, going back to her lecture about how the economy was so bad that no one in the class would be able to escape being in debt.

Dib rotated to Zim and did the 'I'm watching you' gesture with two fingers.

Zim only needed one to flick him off.

On the way home that day, Zim's mind was busy with thoughts of an odd transmission he'd received from the Tallest earlier that day.

They had told him that another Irken might stop by on Earth, and that he was not to get involved.

As if.

This was _his _planet to invade, _his_ planet to conquer, _his_ race to enslave, no one else's! If this 'visitor' tried anything like Tak would, there would definitely be some involvement.

Nyx's POV

Nyx was on her way to Earth.

She needed recruits to help her battle The Midnighters*. There was no way she was going to beat them with only the help of Mira.

"Mira, the stone." she said. Mira handed her a white rock with small black and green dots. The black ones were shadows, and the green ones were Shadow Masters. The one that was hers was slightly larger than the other ones, but she didn't think much of it.

Nyx pulled out a cord and a piece of metal from a bag beside her pilot chair. Curious, Mira bounced over and observed.

Nyx tied several complicated knots around the rock, then bent the metal around the cord and stone. The result was an amulet.

"Pull it." Nyx ordered. Mira wasn't sure that was a good idea, but she tugged it as hard as possible anyway.

Nothing happened. No rips, no bends, nothing.

"Oh, that's wicked boss! How'd ya do that?"

"This is Syonian steel. It's completely indestructible." Nyx said with a glimmer of admiration in her eye.

"Wow, it's a good thing we got Syonia to invade!" Mira said, admiring the amulet as well.

Nyx nodded, then turned back to the controls, which were on autopilot.

"Okay Mira, we're now in Earth's atmosphere. Gather information about-"

_THUNK!_

"Holy Irk, what was that?" Nyx yelled over blaring alarms, which signaled that the ship had a damaged wing.

"I dunno, boss! I'll check!" Mira shouted, also over the alarms, before Nyx opened the windshield and Mira blasted out. She warped into a bird, then raced down and saw something odd. She contacted Nyx through her antennae.

"Boss, there's an Irken shooting chickens at us!"

"What?" Nyx said, her voice coming through a transmitter installed in Mira's head, "Which invader is it?"

Mira swooped over the Irken's head, then ran an identification process. When she got the answer right, she flew back up to the ship, back in and reported to Nyx.

"His name is Zim, and he has a defective SIR with him."

Nyx jolted. She momentarily froze, until she was barked at by Mira.

"Left, left!" Nyx jumped, then steered a hard left, narrowly avoiding a chicken.

Mira let a breath out, then said, "Why'd ya freeze up like that, boss?"

"I had no idea Zim would be here, let alone that he was an invader."

"Ya know 'im?" Mira asked, eyes alert for any more chickens.

"Yeah, I know him. But we're anything but friends."

"Hmm…." Mira muttered, thinking of what could've happened between the two of them.

"Mira." she snapped to attention at Nyx's voice, "Make contact. There's no way we're landing without their permission."

Zim's POV

Zim loaded another chicken into the missile launcher, laughing loudly, amused with himself. He had decided that this Irken was going to do anything but land on Earth.

"GIR! Another chicken!" Zim ordered.

GIR yelled something about how chicken's loved him, then picked up one out of the box of them Zim had bought. But before he could reach out to Zim, though, he froze.

GIR's eyes turned a pinkish color, and he started speaking in an all-to-familiar voice.

"Zim! It's me, Nyx! Stop shooting poultry at us so we can land!"

Zim's jaw dropped. He hadn't heard that voice in ten years, and yet there it was, coming out of GIR's mouth.

"Nyx? Why are you in GIR's head?" he asked, poking GIR curiously.

"I'm not in his head, stupid! I'm in the ship you're shooting at! My SIR is just using his body as a form of communication! Now please, just let us land!"

Zim paused, then turned off the missile launcher.

"Thanks. We'll be landing soon."

GIR's eyes returned to their normal color, and he blinked in surprise.

"There was a lady in my head." he said.

Zim was to busy thinking about what he'd just seen. He hadn't heard from his freinds fiancé in ten years, and now she was landing on his planet for God only knows what reason.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of doom.

Okay, hope ya'll liked that! And yes…Cyrus was Zim's best friend. You shall learn more in chapter three! Read and review! Oh, and Dib's in the next chapter. He gets slammed into a wall by Nyx.

*Midnighters: I didn't like the other thing 'midnight riders', because they don't 'ride' anything, so now Jek's organization is called the Midnighters….again, you'll find out more in chapter three!


	3. Anger Issues

**Ok, this is small, pointless little chapter, but I needed it to tell you about Nyx's…. anger problem.**

Chapter Three-Anger Issues

"Computer. Find a safe spot and plot a course." Nyx ordered.

"Yes ma'am!" The computer said in its British man voice.

"Why can't we just land in Zim's yard?" Mira asked, confused.

"We're evidently not welcome there." Nyx grumbled. She was upset about it too.

"We'll be there soon." Nyx said, reading the computers designated arrival time. "Lets go disguise ourselves."

"Yes!" Mira shouted, punching the air. Nyx smiled, wishing she was as enthusiastic as her SIR.

Dib's POV

Dib was on the roof of his house. He'd just finished an episode of Mysterious Mysteries, in which they had said a comet would be visible that afternoon. Naturally, he was up there looking for it with his camera.

He was polishing his glasses when he heard a whoosh of air, followed by a deep rumble.

Thinking it was the comet, he stood up (nearly falling off the roof), and looked around for it with his camera.

What he saw, though, was a girl, about his age, leaning up against something invisible in the lot beside his house. She appeared to be waiting for something.

She had straight, ruby red hair tied up in a big black bow (which appeared to be held up with a wire on the inside), ripped purple shorts with black and green striped leggings underneath, big black boots that matched her black fingerless gloves, and even from this distance, a scar was visible running down her right cheek.

She wouldn't have appeared that strange, really Dib had seen weirder people, except for the fact that her green t-shirt had the all-too-familiar Irken symbol on it.

He was gathering up the stamina to do…stuff, when there was a flash of red. He stared around trying to find what it was (once again thinking it was the comet), and was surprised to see a bird in front of his face.

It had the same color feathers as the girl below him, so it probably belonged to her.

The bird whooshed around his face, angrily it seemed, cawing loudly. The girl heard the caw, then whipped her head up. Her mismatched eyes glowed brightly up at him. He waved, and she glared. She whistled and the bird flew back down to her shoulder.

Nyx's POV

"You there! Who are you and why are do you feel the need to spy on me?" Nyx yelled up at the roof-kid.

"I'm Dib Membrane, junior paranormal investigator!" Dib yelled.

"I'm Nyx, and I'm not from here!" Nyx shouted.

"Oh, cut the crap, I know you're Irken! For God's sake, you're wearing the symbol on your shirt!"

Nyx's eye twitched. He knew she was Irken, therefore he was an enemy. Her blood started rushing, and she felt one of her anger episodes coming.

She stared up at Dib, and snarled, "You are no threat to my kind!"

"Yes I am! I've nearly caught you're friend Zim hundreds of times!"

"Well, considering I just saw him, I'd say you're doing a pretty poor job, and therefore are not a threat! And he's not my friend!" Nyx retorted.

"I am a threat! You'll fear me one day!"

"No, I won't!" Nyx yelled, blood boiling.

"Yes you will! I'm going to expose you and every other Irken and have you destroyed!"

"No, you won't!" Nyx could feel the episode coming now.

"Yes, I will! And then I'm going to-"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Nyx screamed. Her eyes narrowed, and she whipped her multi-purpose gun* out of her belt. She aimed at Dib, who screamed and hid behind his cape like that would protect him.

"Whoa, boss, temper! For the sake of the Tallest, you're supposed to be saving people, not killing 'em!" Mira yelled, flying frantically around her master's head.

Nyx panted, glaring up at Dib while her anger faded away. She very well could have killed him.

She noted his shaking self, then shouted, "See? I don't fear you, you fear me! You're a pathetic little worm, Dib!"

Dib's POV

Dib stood up, ignoring Nyx's taunts. He brushed himself off, then started down the ladder. He was thinking of what Nyx's bird/robot had just said. What was Nyx saving people from? She was Irken, shouldn't she be conquering people? Why save them?

Wrapped in his thoughts, Dib missed a rung, and found himself dangling by one hand. He screamed (Nyahh!), trying to pull himself up, but he didn't have that much upper body strength. He let go, knowing that the thirty-five foot drop would probably kill him….

….and then it was over. Wait, it wasn't over…he was two feet from the ground, and hovering in a blue beam!

Nyx's POV

Nyx had heard Dib scream as she was getting back in the ship (this evidently wasn't a safe place to stay).

She had whipped her multi-purpose gun out of her belt (once again), and turned it on Tractor Beam setting. She had caught the annoying Dib-kid right before he hit the ground.

He was still screaming though, and it was making Nyx's antennae hurt.

"Hey! _Hey_!" she yelled over him.

"Nyaaaaaah, wait, what?" he looked around, surprised that he wasn't dead.

"You're safe, stupid." Nyx said.

"Oh….thanks." He said.

They stared at each other for a few moments, Dib blushing slightly at his rescuer.

"Um, can you let me down now?"

Nyx's eyes glittered mischievously.

"Sure I can." She said, then brought the beam in a full arc (Dib screaming the whole time), and slammed him into a wall, knocking him unconscious.

Mira gasped, and Nyx shrugged.

"What? It's not like I killed him." She said, pointing to his moving chest.

"I know, but you've gotta control your temper!" Mira said, shaking her head.

"That'll be the day." Nyx said wickedly, leaping back into the green Voot Runner.

She simply couldn't control her temper. There was a defect in her PAK that made her this way.

**Okay, pointless chapter ends…now.**

*** Nyx can't exactly run around with five or six guns in her belt when she's trying to be inconspicuous, so she created one little multi-purpose gun that switches between each purpose. As you just read, it comes in handy!**


	4. Drunk In A Hotel

**Okay, I LOVE this chapter! Basically, Nyx does what the title implies…hope you enjoy!**

Chapter Four-Drunk In a Hotel Room

Nyx had been flying for two hours (in circles) trying to find a place to stay, and now she had.

It was a small clearing, surrounded by trees. It was enclosed and safe from any human activity (the area had been closed off recently). She stretched, sore from the long ride.

"Okay, go get that base-making-thing." she ordered to Mira.

"Umm…." Mira muttered, looking away guiltily.

"You forgot it, didn't you?" Nyx said bitterly, giving Mira her signature death-glare.

"Sorry, boss…."

"Why did I think you could handle even something this simple?" Nyx yelled, throwing her hands in the air dramatically. "You've never been able to do things I need you to do!"

"I-I'm sorry, boss…I didn't mean to-"

"Whatever, I'm the one who should be sorry. I'm taking all my stress out on you."

"Hey, it'll be okay! That kid won't even remember what happened!"

"I know you think that, but we can't be sure. I'll just have to find out when I go to the humans learning facility next week."

"Okay boss. We should go find a place to stay then."

"I guess a hotel would work…do the humans have hotels?"

"Probably. Good idea boss!"

"I wouldn't have to think of stuff like that if you'd remember to do what I asked."

"I said I was sorry…"

"I know…well, I'm going to go hide the runner in shadows so no one sees it. You go see where the nearest hotel is."

"Okey-Dokey!"

Twenty minutes later….

Mira had found the nearest hotel (it was crappy) and was watching Nyx perform a complicated ritual to summon many shadows at one time. She had to go in circles while chanting in a foreign language. On about the fifth circle, shadows were swirling rapidly at her feet. She chanted louder and louder, walking faster and faster, and then she stopped suddenly, abruptly.

She stood there for few seconds, arms in the air, and then she lowered them. She opened her eyes and so did the shadows.

The shadow's and her eyes were glowing and pupil-less.

Mira found it a little scary, but she kept watching in amazement.

Nyx started up the chanting again, her face illuminated by her eyes. She repeatedly pointed at the Voot Runner, and, finally, the shadows converged, covering the green Irken ship. One second it was there, and the next it was nothing but a pool of black under a tree. It appeared as though nothing was, or ever had been, there.

Her master whistled, and Mira flew back down to her shoulder. Nyx looked at her with a tired, worried smile. Mira noted that her green-and-purple eyes had gone back to normal. She looked exhausted and drawn.

"Mira? I have an idea. The Tallest gave me some stuff that Zim sent them…maybe we should try some; it could be really good!"

Three hours later…

Nyx was drunk.

She was laying on a hotel bed, jelly beans in one hand, the stuff the Tallest had given her in the other, giggling and vibrating.

"Hee-hee-hee, Mira, lets bash this room! Tee-hee!"

"Um, I don't think we should do that, boss, we might get kicked out, and we really don't have anywhere else to-"

"Oh, whydaya care? We could just (hic) find another hotel! Come on, have some fun!"

"No, really, I don't think-"

"Destroy this room, hee, thas an order! (hic)" Nyx laughed. She then rolled off the bed and onto the floor, facedown, and giggled into the filthy carpet. She heaved herself off the floor with much difficulty, then staggered over to the mirror.

She grinned drunkenly at her SIR, then proceeded to bash the mirror into pieces with a shampoo bottle.

"Take that Jek! Yeah, how ya like that, bitch?" she screamed, beating every single shard.

Mira warped into a bird and flew up onto a lamp, watching in concern and amusement.

Nyx stumbled over to the beds and flipped one over, cackling insanely. She moved to the next one, then flipped it as well. She laughed, then froze, seeing her jellybeans and bottle of stuff (which said 'beer') spilled all over the floor.

"Damn bumblebees!" she yelled angrily, shaking her fist at the sky.

Mira giggled, enjoying this. She had never seen anyone quite this wasted. _Thank you, Tallest_, She thought, grinning on her perch.

Meanwhile, Nyx was shooting her gun at invisible bumblebees of doom. Then, quite suddenly, she dropped her gun and ran out the door.

Mira yelped, then chased after her master.

"Nyx! What're you doing?" Mira cawed, circling above Nyx's head.

"I'M GOING SWIMMIN' NAKED AND YOU CAN'T STOP ME!" She screeched back.

"But-you can't touch water or you'll die!" Mira yelled back at her master, who was actually running in the wrong direction.

Nyx either ignored her, or was to wasted to hear her. Either way, she kept on running, trying to pull off her shirt as she did.

"Wall! WALL!" Mira yelled.

Nyx ran into the wall.

She hit it and fell back onto the pavement with a hard thump. Mira yelped, then flew down to her boss.

"Boss! Boss, are you okay?" she cawed, poking at her with one claw.

"Damn…bumblebees…YOU WIN THIS ROUND!" Nyx yelled, before falling into unconsciousness.

That's when the police and the hotel manager showed up and kicked them out of the building.

_The next morning…_

Zim's POV

Zim stepped out of the toilet and walked into the living room. He'd heard the TV on and was curious why GIR was being so quiet.

Zim sat down on the couch. "What are we watching?"

"The news."

"The news? Why are you watching-" he looked at GIR, but realized it wasn't him.

It was Mira, Nyx's SIR.

"Why are in my base? What are you doing here? Where's Nyx? Oh, you're trying to steal my base now, is that it?" he screamed, fuming.

"Calm down! We're not stealing you base, we're only-"

"GET OUT OF MY BASE!"

"ZIM! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY SIR?" Nyx yelled, grabbing him by the shirt.

"I'M NOT DOING ANYTHING TO HER! NOW GET OUT!" he screamed back.

"STOP YELLING!" Nyx yelled. "I just need a place to stay so I can finish my mission. And no, that mission is not to take yours!"

"GIR!" Zim barked. GIR dropped out of the ceiling with a bag of jellybeans in one hand, Minimoose following behind him.

"Is this," he pointed to Nyx and Mira, "you're doing?"

"Yeah. That lady gave me these!" He held up his jellybeans.

"Well, I'll punish you later. YOU," he glared at Nyx, who stared defiantly back, "Need to get out of my base!"

Nyx whipped out a hunting knife and held it dangerously close to Zim's neck.

"I'm staying here." she said sweetly.

"I just remembered why I hate you so much." he snarled.

"Nyaaaaaah!" Minimoose said.

"Yaaaaaay! The candy lady's staying!" GIR giggled.

**Okay, that was awesome! Wow, remember never to drink anything Zim gives you!**


	5. The Team

Chapter Five-Reinforcements

**Zim staggered sleepily into the living room area, where Nyx was sprawled on the couch, snoring. Mira was on her head.**

**He yawned and shook her shoulder roughly. Nyx blinked a few times, then bolted to her feet, surprising Zim and waking Mira.**

"**You'll never defeat-oh." she said, looking around like she'd forgotten where she was. She caught Zim's shocked look and sighed, "Just another weird dream. I was fighting something, but I couldn't see it and-"**

"**Save it, we have skool." Zim said, slipping his contacts in. Nyx glanced at the clock, which read 4:30 a.m. "Why do the humans get up so early?" she yawned.**

"**Don't know, don't care." Zim said, rushing out the door. Nyx told Mira to baby-sit GIR while she was away, then warped into her disguise and ran after Zim.**

"**Hey! **_**Hey**_**!" She yelled, running after him. She caught up and grabbed him by the PAK, forcing him to stop.**

"**What do you want?" he snarled, trying to shake her off; that only made her hold on tighter.**

"**I want you to tell me why you're so mad at me!" she growled.**

"**What makes you think I'm mad at you?" Zim hissed, now attempting to claw her off.**

"**You ignore me, stomp around, growl, and avoid any communication whatsoever. You're obviously mad at me."**

"**I've been mad at you for years, and I'm not about to explain why, so let GO!" **

"**No! Not until you explain!" Nyx snarled.**

**Zim gave her the death-glare, then informed her that he'd tell her if she let go of his PAK. Nyx released him, and he padded over to sit under a tree. Nyx noticed that he was taller than her as he walked.**

**He sat down and buried his face in his knees. Nyx thought this sudden depression was very out of character, and came to sit down beside him.**

**They stayed that way for a while before Zim said, "…you remember how me and Cyrus were always together?"**

"**Yeah, I remember. Heh, I remember when you tied him to his bed when he was supposed to be at Invader Training. He was so pissed when he woke up." Nyx said with a sad smile.**

"**Me too, that was awesome…well, we were…close."**

"**You mean…"**

"…**I loved him." Zim whispered, tears spilling out of his eyes. **

**Nyx looked away, deep in thought.**

"**You took him away…he was always with **_**you**_**, I never saw him. Ever. I started to hate you, and hate others around me. Why could they have good lives, and not me? I started to put up a barrier, and wouldn't let anyone in. Eventually it seemed like the only thing I cared about was myself…but I don't… I care about things…this barrier…you and Cyrus have broken it…" Zim murmured, then got quiet. **

**Nyx was taking this all in. She'd practically ruined his life, and she hadn't even known about it until now. She stared up at a tree, mortified.**

"**Can I ask you something?" Zim said, looking up, "How'd you get that scar? I don't remember-"**

**And then a cloud of darkness swirled over their heads. Nyx looked up, and Zim got to his feet, ready for fight or flight. **

**Suddenly, the shadows melted away to reveal a huge Irken ship. It landed nearby in the clearing Nyx had wanted to set her base in. **

**Nyx grabbed Zim and dragged him towards it; Zim didn't know it, but Nyx knew the driver.**

**When they got there, the ship was hidden, and the foreign chant was dying down. Nyx let go of Zim and ran up to the trio standing there. **

"**Nyx!" one of them, an extremely tall, orange cloaked male yelled.**

"**Zane! Oh, I can't believe it's you!" she laughed, hugging his waist. Zane stared down at her with friendly orange eyes.**

"**Ya know, we're here too." one of them said with a grin. He was buff with dark yellow eyes, a ripped yellow shirt with an Irken symbol on it, and brown pants, half covered by his boots. His scars were visible, and his antennae were crooked. **

**He was standing in front of a super-skinny, short Irken girl with huge black eyes and a long black and grey dress. She stared shyly up at them, hiding slightly in the yellow guy's shirt.**

"**I wouldn't forget you and Mi, Zell!" Nyx laughed, hugging them both.**

"**Your arm still hurt from that fight?" Zell said with a toothy grin.**

"**Naw, but you left a pretty nasty bruise." Nyx grinned, rubbing her left arm.**

"**Oh, you guys probably know Zim here!" Nyx said, dragging Zim in against his will.**

**Zane crossed his arms. "Yeah, we **_**all **_**know you."**

"**You're really tall." Zim said randomly.**

"**Um, thank you. I was once offered a position as Tallest, but I declined. The idea of running an entire planet scares me." **

"**You run us pretty well." Zell muttered. Nyx nodded. They all knew that Zane would be a better leader than Red and Purple.**

"**Oh, Nyx, do you have the stone?" Zane asked. **

"**Yeah, it's always with me." She said, pulling it out from under her shirt. The rock glowed slightly, and Mi poked it curiously. Nyx shooed her away, then handed it too Zane.**

"**Excellent. We're sure to find plenty of recruits on a planet with so much life."**

"**Recruits?" Zim asked curiously. Nyx turned, and said apologetically "Sorry! I forgot to inform of my mission!"**

**Ten minutes of explaining later….**

"**You guys all control shadows?" Zim asked, amazed.**

"**Yep." Nyx said. To prove her point, she made her shadow rise from behind her.**

"**Whoa! Can I do that?" Zim asked eagerly.**

"**That's what we're here to find out." Zane said, stretching. He climbed onto the ship and explained what the rock did.**

"**You put it in this hole, and it displays a map. On the map are tons of little green dots. Each dot represents a planet's life-form. If black dots are surrounding that dot, then that life-form is probably a Shadow Master. Our job is to recruit these Shadow Masters and defeat the Midnighters."**

"**Oh, muffins!" Nyx yelled. Everyone looked up in surprise. "We're going to be late for skool!" She explained.**

"**You should all go together while I find this area's Shadow Masters." Zane said, smiling. **

"**All right! I can beat people up and-I mean, make friends and…stuff." Zell said, smiling innocently at his leader.**

"**Just go." Zane growled. They all made off down the road in disguises (Zell as a bulky-built teen with a brown buzz-cut , Mi as an ultra-skinny pre-teen with long black hair that covered one of her huge eyes).**

**Zim decided this was one of the most interesting mornings he'd had since coming to Earth.**

**Okay, I just had to add more OC's in here: Nyx can't save the universe without help! I'll have art up for the new character's on DeviantArt soon (Remember, I'm DancerKat277).**


	6. Not Normal

Okay, thought I'd do another disclaimer: I don't own Invader Zim; I only own Nyx, Zell, Mi, Zane, Jek, and Cyrus.

**(**An-The Dib fangirls won't like me for this chapter!)

**Darkest Nyx-Chapter Six**

The klass reacted pretty normally to getting two unexpected new students, except for Dib, but that was only because Zim had come in joking around with one of them-a buff looking guy with a buzz cut. The redheaded girl kept giving Dib odd looks. He figured it was because of the bandages on his head, or Zim had told her something about him. But as he looked at her, he realized how familiar she looked.

Ms. Bitters had to eject two kids to the underground classroom (and a third, just because she was annoying) to make room for the duo to sit. The buff guy made one kid move so he could sit behind Zim, and the redhead sat beside Dib.

"These two are exchange students. Why they would exchange into this horrible excuse of a school, I don't know. The one who appears to be on steroids is Zell." she said, pointing to the buff kid, who cheered for himself.

"Be quiet!", Ms. Bitters snapped. Zell got quiet.

"The one with the flaming head is Nyx." she said, pointing to the girl seated behind Dib.

_Why does that name sound so familiar? _Dib thought, staring at Nyx, who was looking innocently at the chalkboard.

"Let's begin our lesson on how muffins are being injected with radioactive blueberries. Turn to page two-hundred-and-five." Ms. Bitters announced.

"Hey. Hey you." Nyx whispered, poking Dib in the arm with her pencil.

"What?" he hissed back.

"How'd you get those bandages on your head?" she asked quietly.

"Um, I think I fell off the roof of my house."

"You _think_? How would you not know?" she asked incredulously.

"No one else saw what happened. I just woke up on the stairs, bleeding."

Nyx looked away like she was embarrassed. Dib stared at her curiously.

"You seem really familiar…have we met before?" he asked.

"No, now pay attention, big-head!" Nyx teased, turning back.

"And then the muffins will grow legs and devour your organs from inside of your body." Ms. Bitters was saying.

Dib knew he'd met this girl before…he just couldn't place where.

Gaz was sitting with her feet up on the desk, reading a book about the apocalypse. Normally she would have been playing GS-3, but her stupid homeroom teacher had convinced all the teachers to ban electronic devices. Gaz flicked them off whenever she walked in.

So anyway, she was in biology, reading, when Mr. John got an e-mail saying that they were going to get a new student with a speaking problem. Mr. Joe told them to be nice to her (like that would happen), then opened the door.

The girl walked in, a black cloak wrapped around her shoulders flowing out behind her. She was tiny and dressed in all black, even her hair and eyes. Gaz was slightly relieved that she wasn't like the last couple new students-a slutty prep, dickhead jock, and weird nerd.

"Her name's Mi, and she'll be sitting behind Macy." Mr. Joe announced. The girl scurried over to her seat behind the girl Macy, who kicked her in the leg. Mi's eyes widened, but she didn't do anything.

Mr. Joe resumed his lesson about the proper feeding of seashells, and the kids started whispering about the new girl.

"She's so flat!" an equally flat girl whispered.

"Is she emo?" one guy muttered to his friend.

"She's just as weird as Gaz!" some obnoxious prep said, loud enough for everyone to hear. It was supposed to be funny, but no one laughed.

"She's a freak, just like you!" the snotty prep said with one of those not-really-a-smile smiles, looking straight at Gaz. Mr. Joe continued his lesson, knowing by now not to get involved in fights-he was often the only one who got hurt.

"Maybe you two should date!" the prep giggled, making kissing noises.

Gaz slammed the book down on the table, and the room went silent. She marched over to the prep's desk and stood there for a few seconds.

"What are you gonna do, stare me to-"

Gaz kicked the prep to the floor, then stepped hard on her chest. The girl yelled she was sorry, and Gaz pulled her foot off. She turned to Mi.

"I'm Gaz." she said simply.

"Mi." the girl said quietly.

"You play video games?" she asked. The prep was whining to Mr. Joe about Gaz, but he was totally ignoring her.

"Yes." Mi said with a nod.

"Cool." Gaz said, sitting back down in her chair. No one else bothered them after that.

A while later the bell for lunch rang, and Gaz kicked some kid to the floor to get out the door first. She smirked at him, thinking _I'm _Gaz_, I always go first_.

Gaz ordered her pizza, then sat down at her table with Dib, who was staring at some red-head at Zim's table.

"Oh, what's this, big-head's got a crush?" Gaz teased. Dib looked up in surprise, blushing slightly.

"Wha-oh, um, no, I mean, uh,…she looks _really_ familiar. Have you met her before?"

Gaz studied the girl, who was giggling about some joke a buff guy had made about his blueberry muffin; Gaz noted that Mi was sitting with them as well-Zim was poking her and asking if she knew any jokes he could tell.

"I know her." she said, chewing the nasty skool food.

"Really? Tell me where from Gaz, its important!" Dib said eagerly.

"I'm not telling you unless…"

"Unless what?"

"…unless you offer to get beat up by that guy." she said, pointing at Zim's buff friend.

"But, that's Zell!" Dib hissed, like he didn't want the guy to hear him.

"So?" Gaz mumbled around the peas.

"So? He's beaten up half my homeroom in one day! He'll _kill_ me!"

"Maybe you should work out more."

"Gaz, for once just tell me, without any catches!" Dib said desperately. Gaz ignored him.

"…fine…" Dib growled. He stood up and walked over to the table. He said something, and Zell cracked his knuckles, gesturing towards the boys' bathroom. Dib walked, head down, over into the room, Zell following, and Zim bouncing along with him, demanding that he get to hit the Dib-Filth as well.

Gaz thought it was weird that Dib was so determined to know where he knew the girl from. He thought of his brother dating the new girl, and made a revolted face. That poor girl…

She stood up and walked over to Zim's table and plopped down in a seat no one had been sitting in. The girl's conversation with Mi ended abruptly.

"Yo." she said, eating some of Mi's fries. She wouldn't be eating it anyway.

"Yo?" the girl said.

"You Irken like Zim?"

The girl's eye twitched a little.

"Maybe I am. My name's Nyx. Yours?"

"Gaz. And don't worry, I'm not telling the government. I'd rather see the world in flames and the people enslaved."

Nyx blinked in surprise, Gaz's words catching her off guard.

"So, do you like Dib?" Gaz asked, point blank.

"Like as in how?" Nyx asked, eyes narrow.

"You know, love."

"Why should I tell you?" Nyx inquired, blushing a little. Gaz smirked at that.

"I'm his sister-slash-tormentor, and I've been running low on material lately."

"Well…maybe a little…" Nyx admitted. Gaz made a face, and Nyx turned a deep shad of red, almost matching her hair.

Just then, Dib walked back in, dripping toilet water with a black eye. He flopped down beside Gaz (who slid her chair away in disgust) and growled, "How. Do. You. Know. Her."

Gaz grinned evilly and purred, "Nyx here saved you're life then threw you at a wall. I was watching you from the garage."

Dib gaped at his crush, not sure how to react. Zell and Zim were off in their own little world (talking about how fun shoving Dib's head in the toilet was, and how in the world it didn't get stuck), Mi looked confused, but glad she wasn't the center of attention. Nyx was staring surprised at Gaz, who was smirking at her. Nyx had been totally unaware she'd been watched.

"_Would all of the students seated at table four in the cafeteria please come to the guidance counselor's office? Thank you._" someone announced over the intercom. Mi glanced at their table, then said quietly "Um, that's us."

Nyx sprang to her feet and ran off down the hall. Zell followed her, and Zim (who wasn't finished with his joke) chased him. Gaz stepped down and walked casually away, Mi following her like a lost puppy. Dib sat there, thinking about how Nyx was strong enough to slam him into a wall and knock him unconscious.

"_I said _all_ of you_!" the announcer yelled. Dib yelped and ran after the group, not even thinking about how the announcer had seen him. Keef crawled out from under the table.

"Me too?" he called at the ceiling.

"_No. You're creepy, go away_!" the announcer barked.

Keef went away.

(Me-what the hell was he doing under the table?)

When the group arrived at the counselor's office, a very tall man in a black suit and orange cape was waiting, playing with his short black hair. He looked surprised, then straightened up.

"Hello, students. I am, um, Mr.….um…just call me Zane!" he said with a smile. Nyx giggled and Dib gave her a weird look.

He jerkily moved his arms in a gesture at a door. "Come in here with me!" he said awkwardly. They filed into a small room with a plant in one corner, inspirational posters on the wall, and a circle of beanbag chairs on the floor.

The group each took a seat (Zane with some difficulty).

"What the hell did I do this time?" Gaz grumbled, pulling the leaves off the plant. Zane batted her hand away and said, "You didn't do anything. I'm here to tell you something that may shock you a little."

"I'm not crazy!" Dib yelled (for no real reason), standing up with his fists balled. Nyx pulled him down by the cape.

"Did he _say_ you were?" she hissed.

"Um, no."

"That was a rhetorical question, stupid."

Zane ignored them entirely. "Nyx, Zell, Mi-if we're going to tell them what's going on, we need to appear in our true forms."

"Whoa, you're going to get naked?" Dib gasped.

"No, dumbass! We're going to do this!" Nyx yelled, turning into her Irken form. Dib looked totally surprised, like it was the last thing he expected. Gaz rolled her eyes at the drama. Zim looked at them in a stunned way.

"You…you…you dummies! You just revealed you're identities to the humans! Do you want to get tested on? Do you want to-"

"Cool it! They're not going to do anything like that if they want to save the universe!" Zell yelled, pushing him into his beanbag. Zim looked offended.

"Whoa, wait, you're Irken, and you're saving the universe? I thought you were trying to destroy it!" Dib said suddenly.

"Well, we're trying to _conquer _it, not _destroy_ it, and there's a force threatening to destroy _all_ life in the universe, so we need your help to defeat it, so we can control it, and still be alive and-" Mi broke off to breathe, and noticed everyone in the room staring at her.

"What?" she said.

"That's the most, and loudest, I've ever heard you talk." Nyx said.

"Well, I really care about this!" Mi said, embarrassed.

"Oh dear, this really calls for some explaining." Zane said, staring off in the distance, stroking his chin.

"About time." Gaz said, ripping the seams apart on the beanbag chair. Once again, Zane whacked her hand away. He sighed (that beanbag chair was _really_ expensive), then started his explanation.

"Well, it all started ten years ago…"

**Okay, this is one of my favorite chapters I've done so far! And the title rhymes! (Darkest Nyx, Chapter Six)**

**Well, I finally wrote down the storyline for what happened, so I know what's going to happen, I'm not just making it up as I go along anymore! So…many…plot twists!**


	7. Zane Explains

**(An-yes, we're finally cracking down on what's happening in the story!)**

**Darkest Nyx-Chapter Seven**

"It was the beginning of operation Impending Doom Two, and the first assigning was under way. Watching patiently in the back row was a man named Jek. He had the same ability as everyone in this room-he could control his shadow." Zane said.

"I can do _what_?" Dib gasped, glancing behind him at his shadow.

"Control your shadow, dumbass. He just said that." Zell said.

"For years, he'd noticed that none of his kind ever got a chance at anything like this. He'd come to see if any of the Shadow Masters he knew were there, and naturally, they weren't. They had been turned down jobs on the Massive, in the Armada, even in _shipment_, so why should they even get a chance to be Invaders? They were unpredictable and dangerous in the eyes of most Irkens, and whispered worries followed them everywhere they went."

"Jek had grown tired of the years of such insults. He knew that he and all the other Masters were never going to be able to do anything on Irk, so he got the idea to do something, well, dangerous and unpredictable. But to make everything seem normal, he had to go to the second Great Assigning, which was mandatory. He took his seat, which was beside me, and watched. He was surprised to see a Shadow Master in the row of Elites that would become Invaders. That Master was Nyx."

"I'll never forget the disgusting look on his face, like I was some kind of offering that he was to godly to take." Nyx snarled. Dib stared at her curiously.

"Exactly. He thought she had been offered that role as a peace offering to the uprising Masters, but really she was there because of her defect." Zane glanced at Nyx, who looked up at the ceiling. "Nyx has a defect in her PAK that makes her have random anger fits, and because of it, she needed a chance to prove herself worthy of living. If she succeeded, she would get a Trial to find out, if she failed, she would be disposed of."

Nyx fiddled with one of her long antennae. Zim looked at her and said, "I have a defect too! Apparently, I have 'a small set of emotions' or something and I'm 'dangerous'. In other words, I am Zim!" Nyx ignored him, and Zane started up again.

"Well, Jek got mad, because he thought the offer had come to late. He already had a band of misfits looking for a planet to live on. He ended up punching his way through the crowd to get to the Tallest, and Nyx intervened. She jumped off the platform and he brandished a knife. She attempted to wrestle it out of his hands, and got her face sliced by Jek's knife. She had one of her worst episodes ever, and nearly killed Jek."

"She should've when she had the chance. It would have saved us all some grief." Zell grumbled.

Nyx launched herself from across the room and slapped him across the face.

"I wanted to, can't you understand that? I almost did! My orders were to back down, but I kept fighting! You have no idea how bad I wanted to, how much I could taste it! I can't change the past, dammit, and you need to understand that!" she snarled. Zell rubbed his face and glared, but stayed quiet.

"Jek was banished from planet Irk, but he'd planned for it. His allies had settled on another planet, which he named Midnight. It was tiny and cold, but they lived there all the same. He started a group called the Midnighters, who were also Shadow Masters rebelling against their leaders. They came from all over the universe to join him in a battle for justice. _I_ even came, that's how persuasive he was. It was normal for a while, before Jek started to lose himself. He would babble to himself about fighting, and yell at anyone who talked to him. One day, he decided to launch a full-blow attack on Irk. Not many of us went, and he was vastly outnumbered by the Irken Armada. He retreated, most of his allies dead."

"He busted doors down, forcing us to fight or die, carrying his blade with him, a crazed light in his eyes. He even held a knife to my neck and told me to fight, or no one would ever hear from me again. I pretended to cooperate, then attacked him when his back was turned. I landed a few good blows, then kicked him into my fireplace. I ran for it, taking nothing, then boarded my ship and went to Irk. I called all the Master's I knew, and it turned out that many of them had recruits from their friend's conquered planets. Nyx even had an entire planet of Syons to help her out. We banded together, knowing that Jek was planning a war that could come at any time, and wipe out much of the universe's lives. We were the misfit saviors, The Dark Angels."

"Cool name." Gaz said.

"Mm-hmm, so anyway, we loaded everyone onto Syon, where the Masters learned how to control their shadows to use in fights. We had hundreds of allies , who were willing to fight, and we thought for a while that we were undefeatable…and then word of a being called 'the Darkest' started coming around. We knew that someone among us was this being, and had unfathomable power. We also knew that Jek had heard as well, and was coming for them. We walked around with tension practically visible tension in the air, knowing something was coming, and then one day, it did."

"It was exactly midnight when the sound of screams were heard. Syon had fallen under attack, and we were vastly outnumbered. The weird thing was that no one saw Jek for at least an hour of fighting, and then he was suddenly there, dressed entirely in red, eyes alight with a psychotic flame, knife in one hand. He smiled, his teeth zipper-like in the moonlight. He lunged at Nyx, waving the knife in a deadly manner, and just before it hit her, Kat, a human ally from Earth, dropped onto him, wielding her sword. Nyx ran off to help me, and Kat managed to score a few hits on Jek-she cut off one of his antennae and made a long gash down his front. Bleeding and weakened, Jek and his army retreated, but we knew now what he was after-Nyx, the Darkest."

"He almost got me, too. Thank God Kat was there, or he'd have done who only knows what to me on his horrible planet." Nyx said with a shudder.

"Yes, well, from that battle we learned that we were strong, but didn't have enough warriors. We made up groups to go to each planet and recruit Masters to help us fight Jek in the war we felt coming. Thus, we ended up here, looking for the last two human Masters. So," Zane clapped his hands together and stood up, "Will you help us fight against Jek in order to save the universe from certain doom?"

"Yes!" Dib yelled, punching the air.

"No." Gaz said, walking out the door. Zane sighed in disappointment when she closed it.

"Zim will assist in your mission!" Zim announced, even though he'd already said he would earlier.

"Okay, then we need you two to come with us to Syon to learn how to fight. Lets make haste, because the war could begin at any moment!"

The group filed quickly out the door, then up to the attendance office. After explaining _four times _that he was taking them home, Zane led them out the door and to a car.

"Um, Zane, where'd you get a car?" Nyx asked.

"I commandeered it. Now hurry, we've wasted enough time here." Zane said, starting it up. Everyone squeezed in, and Nyx mumbled, "Stealing a car, nice job going unnoticed, Zane."

"Why do you have to go unnoticed?" Dib asked curiously, "Shouldn't the universe know what's going on?"

"No. If they did, it would cause an uproar throughout the entire universe." Mi said quietly, buckling her seatbelt.

"Oh." Dib said, "Well, if you ever did need to get it out, I could just give the information to-"

"-Mysterious Mysteries." Nyx finished. "You talked about it for an hour in homeroom."

"Oh, right…well, um, I mean-"

That's when Zane pulled out of the parking lot. He obviously hadn't learned how to drive, or even considered that when he stole the car, because he was careening wildly through the streets, leaving skid marks and narrowly avoiding trees and other cars. Dib was screaming, Zim and Zell were laughing, Mi was sitting, holding onto her seat for dear life, and Nyx was yelling at Zane to stop the car before he killed them all.

"Oh, you're no fun, Nyx! Hang on, left turn!" Zane yelled, wrenching the wheel to the left. Everyone screamed now, and then Nyx contacted Mira.

The screen came on, and Mira was chasing GIR through the park. "GIR! Stop chasin' that squirrel, right now!" she yelled, her New York accent mangling her words.

"MIRA!" Nyx screamed as Zane whooshed down a hill, obviously enjoying himself.

"Boss? Oh, hey!" she said, waving at the screen.

"Get to the lot where the ships are!" Nyx screamed as Zane almost hit a little kid.

"Ships? I thought we were the only ones here-GIR! Stop that!" Mira yelled at Zim's SIR, who was climbing a tree after the squirrel.

"Zane and everyone else are here! Just get there soon!"

"Okay, boss! See you all soon!" Mira saluted, then Nyx cut the transmission.

Zane crashed through the gate of the lot, and then parked the car right there.

"We're here!" he announced with a smile.

Dib jumped out the car and vomited into a bush.

"You crazy, psychotic man." Mi said, releasing her grip on the seat. She left claw marks where her hands were.

"Ah, but if I weren't crazy, we'd still be in traffic!" he said with a wink.

"Lets do that again!" Zim laughed.

"Never. Ever. Again." Nyx growled, holding her head. She'd hit it when they'd gone down a hill.

Mira and GIR suddenly landed on the front of the car.

"Hey boss!" Mira said with a wave.

"You got waffles?" GIR shrieked.

**Okay, very long chapter, but very necessary! Okay, NEVER ride in a car with Zane unless its an absolutely life-or-death reason! Ha-ha, until next time, bye!**


	8. Syon

**(An-last three OC's, but they are vital to the story.)**

**Again, I don't own Invader Zim. I own Nyx, Mira Zane, Zell, Mi, Cyrus, Kat, Lyta, Sazuki, and partially Val.**

**Darkest Nyx-Chapter Eight**

"Freak!"

"Nerd!"

"At least I'm COOL!"

"Yeah, big head's are 'cool'!"

"SHUT UP ZIM!"

"NO ONE TELLS ZIM TO SHUT UP!"

"HOW ABOUT YOU BOTH SHUT UP BEFORE I DRIVE THIS SHIP INTO THE SUN?", Nyx exploded over the warring duo. They looked at her in alarm and an ember of fear. She hissed inwardly; that fear was of her defect.

"Geez, why'd you scream like that?" Dib grumbled.

"WHY? I'LL TELL YOU WHY!" she screamed. "I HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO YOU TWO FOR SEVEN HOURS! SEVEN FREAKING HOURS! JUST SHUT UP!"

"I said no one tells Zim to-"

"SHUT UP!"

"-shut up!"

Nyx veered the ship to the right, where the huge mass of fire was hovering. Dib screamed and held on to Zim, who pushed him face-first into the ground.

"Are you going to STOP now?" she laughed insanely.

"Yes! Yes, we'll stop! Just don't kill us!" Dib wailed. Zim looked bored and disappointed, but he got quiet.

They rode along behind Zane's ship, Nyx silently cursing Zane for getting the easy ride with only Zane, Mi, and GIR. Mira was in sleep mode under her chair, but she hadn't been nearly as annoying as THEM. Nyx checked the distance to Syon, then turned her chair around and said:

"Ten minutes until we land. There are some things I should tell you before we land."

"Okay." Zim and Dib said together. They glared at each other, and Nyx laid a hand on the controls.

They stopped and listened.

"Well, Syon is divvied into sections. Each is led by one being, and I, being the conqueror of it, am the leader of the whole planet. There is a training section, led by my human friend Kat. She's got unruly black hair and green eyes, and wears armor, so she shouldn't be hard to miss. She trains recruits, like you, to use their shadows to fight, use weapons, and evade an enemy. You'll be taking some of her lessons."

"Val, another somewhat-friend, leads the science group. She's looking for something called "The Life Stone", and has been for some time. She's human like you, Dib. Her kind thought she was crazy, but she knows it exists, and have heard, via one of her spy-bots planted on Planet Midnight, that it has an insane amount of power. I believe I may have found it a while ago, actually."

Dib raised his hand like he was in school, and with a confused and slightly embarrassed look, Nyx said, "Um, what is it?"

"What do you mean you found it? And what's it do?"

"Well, we don't know yet, and yes, I found it. I went looking for it after I left Syon for Earth, and found it on your moon. Zane is currently in possession of it, probably hoping to surprise his little girlfriend with it."

This time, Zim raised his hand, but he didn't wait for Nyx to call on him.

"He's in love with a _human_?"

"Yes. Val." Nyx said simply. Zim gaped at her.

"But…they're vermin!"

"I, and most of us on Syon, firmly believe that there should be no discrimination. No one should be able to tell us who we should love, and how we should act. Either peace or anarchy. You choose."

"That was deep." Dib noted. Nyx stared at him with a weird look of something meaningful, then continued with her story.

"Finally, there are the native Syons. They most certainly stand out. They are fox-like creatures that walk on two legs and have purple fur and vibrantly colored hair. Their queen….despises me. She is furious that I have conquered her planet. I have a guard over her at all time because I don't trust her. Her name is Lyta, and she has an annoying little assistant, Sazuki. Don't trust them, they don't trust you."

"Huh. Well, I wouldn't be too pleased if my planet was taken over." Dib murmured thoughtfully. Zim glared at him, then growled, "Quiet worm! I will conquer you!"

"If you were, you would have done it already!"

"Shut up, human-filth!"

"YOU SHUT UP!"

"DO NOT TELL ME TO SHUT UP! I AM ZIM!"

"BOTH OF YOU, STOP IT NOW OR I _WILL_ DRIVE INTO THE SUN!" Nyx boomed, summoning her shadow for demonic effect.

They shot glares at each other, but got silent. "One minute until landing." Nyx announced. She hit a few buttons, going down to a large landing platform. Dib stared in wonder, noting the large trees covering the surface of the planet. Zim was looking for fellow Irkens, but there weren't any at the platform. Zane had landed, and was waiting for them with a screeching GIR, uneasy Mi, and reassuring Zell.

Nyx landed, leaped out, and shook hands with one of the fox-ish Syons ( he was her height with spiky yellow hair). They exchanged a few words in a foreign language, then he nodded and marched off down through the trees. With an exchanged glance with Zane, the group followed. The Syon herded them to a huge city structure, with huge, towering buildings made of a sleek metallic material. "Syonian steel." Nyx said, catching his awe-filled stare.

"Syed omyoi casia." The Syon said, pointing at the nearest building. Zim stared in confusion, then barked at Nyx, "What is he saying?"

"_Syon's main castle_." Nyx translated, and when the yellow fox nodded, she added, "I see you all have been building since I left." He nodded again, then pelted quickly down the hill, eager to share his news. The group followed, slower, and Zim struck up a conversation with Zell about hair or something stupid. Nyx was admiring the new addition to the city, when someone tapped her shoulder.

"Yes?" She asked, turning around to see a blushing Dib. She blinked, a little confused.

"Um, well, earlier, when you said we shouldn't be told who to love, you looked at me weird."

Nyx turned a dark shade of green. Dib went even redder.

"What did you mean by-"

"_KYEEEEE_!"

Zane froze, tilting his head up. Everyone took fighting stances, and the yellow-haired Syon raced back up the hill in alarm. Suddenly, a black shaped leaped from one tree to the next. Zell kicked that tree, and the figure jumped, lightning fast, to several other trees, then leaped down and landed in the middle of the group with a _thunk_.

The figure stood, brushing long black bangs out of her orb-like green eyes, never losing her stance. She took a step forward, and then ran at Nyx, who yelped in surprise.

"Hey, Little Miss Shadow!" the girl laughed, enveloping the skinny Irken in her warm embrace. Nyx laughed as well.

"Hey, Little Miss Ninja!" she grinned. Nyx took the girl's arm, then introduced her.

"This is Kat, and, as you just saw, she is one hell of an ally!"

Nobody responded. They were to confused.

"SAY HI!" Kat barked. Everyone started saying _Hi_, _Hello_, and stuff like that, fearing the huge sword strapped to Kat's back.

"Well, now that you're here, lets go see Val. She said she wanted to see you as soon as you got here…_you _as in _Zane_, that is, but I think she _could _have meant all of you." Kat said thoughtfully.

Twenty minutes later….

The crowd marched into the building, passing many strange creatures (a three legged thing with huge tusks and no eyes, a fish-like creature with a huge mouthful of teeth). They went up an elevator with another Irken, who was listening to music through his PAK and earphones.

Being as the elevator was jammed full, the Irken dude kept hitting people when he tried to bob his head to the music. Zell ended up pushing him to the floor with a hiss of aggravation (the guy had hit him over and over again).

The elevator doors opened to a cavernous room made of marble with intricate statues. Nyx marveled at how well the Syons could build, then felt a warmness around her leg. She looked down and saw Sazuki hugging her leg. Lyta was standing nearby, arms crossed, making a deep, threatening growl. A huge guy with six arms was standing behind her, equally threatening.

"Omigosh, I missed you so much! You have to tell me everything that happened! Did you meet a bunch of new friends? Did you fall in love? Did you get battle scars? Did you-"

"Sazuki!" Nyx laughed. The little Syon could speak so fast, and Nyx could barely understand her. Sazuki noticed Dib and Zim, and her ears perked up. She raced over and bombarded them with questions, and a woman in a buttoned up lab coat stepped out of a room, speaking quickly with a short…thing…with six arms and a huge mouth, also in a lab coat. The woman looked up, and her eyes sparked when she saw Zane.

She waltzed up in a very sexy way, unbuttoning her coat as she went. She was eye to eye with Zane when she ripped it off, revealing a super short, super tight blue dress with pink ribbons tied around her arms, waist, and legs. She smiled seductively at him, but he only sighed and said, " That's not going to impress me, Val."

The scientist pouted, buttoning it back up, then said with a smile, "I missed you guys! Oh, and did you learn anything about the-"

Zane pulled Nyx's rock necklace out of his shirt, and Val's eyes swelled into huge orbs, her mouth hanging open.

"Y…you…OH MY GOD I LOVE YOU!" she screamed, attacking Zane in a tackle that knocked him to the floor. She giggled and petted it in awe, her short blue hair falling in her face. Zane grunted, "You know, I'm on the floor."

"Oh, sorry!" she yelped, helping him up. They brushed themselves off, and Val waited for a few seconds before making a squealing noise and ripping at the chain on her love's neck. Zane gasped and coughed, "I'm attached to it! Don't pull it!"

"Sorry!" she said again, letting him pull it off himself (with a few angry grumbles). He handed it too her, and she stood there for a few seconds, then squealed again and raced off down a corridor. Zane shook his head, embarrassed by her. Her overjoyed squeaks were heard even from a huge distance.

"Okay, well, here we are!" Zane said, turning to face his companions, but found them in a brawl. Nyx was arguing in Syon with Lyta (there were a ton of curse words in there), Zim and Kat were having a heated yelling battle about Earth (smiling demonically at each other), Zell was beating up the elevator kid, and Mi was being pestered by Sazuki ('why are in all black?', 'where'd you go?', 'are you in love with Zell?', etc).

Zane sighed, looking at the ceiling. _Welcome home_, he thought, _the only thing left is to stay alive_.

**Okay, end scene! Not that long, but they had to get to Syon. Oh, and Mira is still on the ship, that rock she had in earlier chapters was the Life Stone, that yellow guy is not an OC, I made up the language, and this chapter is dedicated to SlytherinQueen1.30 and The American Ranger.**


	9. Nightmare

**Inspired by my many weird nightmares and the story of Damocles at one part (briefly). Hope you like it!**

**Darkest Nyx-Chapter Nine**

_Blood. Everywhere. Nyx stared around the room in horror and confusion. She could see almost nothing, but she could hear. Screams, shouting for help. She heard Dib's name, yelled by Kat. What's happening? She thought. And then she saw it. Hovering above her head, a black cloud of shadow. It filled the whole room, and its glowing purple and green eyes-_her_ eyes-were filled with a proud, psychotic light. She took a step back in horror, and it smiled, and eerie, fanged smile. "What is wrong? Are you not proud of what you've done?", it whispered. Nyx's antennae pricked at the voice-a demonic version of her own. "I've done nothing! Who are you? You aren't my shadow!" she yelled. "I am, oh I am. I am your shadow, and also the Darkest. I'm _you_ Nyx. Together, we will do to all the world what we have to your human friend!" Nyx's eyes filled with horror, and she clenched her fists and snarled, "What have you done to him?" The monster-the Darkest-smiled and said, "I did not do anything. You did." Nyx blinked, then heard Kat wail, "He's dead!" Nyx stumbled back against the door, and the shadow was suddenly gone, then right behind her. "You can't outrun your shadow." it whispered._

Nyx woke screaming. She finally calmed down and tried to regulate her breathing-ten minutes later. She looked behind her, but her shadow looked normal. She stared wide-eyed around the room, heart pounding violently in her chest. Suddenly, someone knocked on her door.

She fell head-first out of the bed (her legs were to shaky to hold her), then stumbled to the door. She half-opened it, and Dib rushed in.

"Nyx! Are you okay?", he gasped, shaking her shoulders.

"Get out.", she whispered, face to the floor. He stared at her curiously, slightly offended.

"What did you say?"

"Get. Out.", she repeated, her fists clenched, eyes filled with tears.

"Are you okay?", he yelled, shaking her a little harder. She looked up with a violent light in her eyes. Dib let go of her shoulders and backed up.

"Get out of here before I hurt you. I'm a threat. A defect. Hell, a weapon. I don't want to hurt you."

"What d'you mean? You're not a-"

"I'm the freakin' Darkest, Big-Head! I could kill you and not even know!", she growls, but the pain in her voice is as noticeable as the haunted look in her eyes. Dib didn't know what to say. He just stood there like an idiot, then hugged her once before telling her to stay in his room. She refused. Said she had some stuff to do while she was awake. Dib was unsure and still worried, but he left to go back to bed.

Nyx stared at the floor, which had collected a number of tear-drops. She prodded it with a toe, then laid down on one of Syon's many masterfully made beds. She stared at the ceiling for a while, but didn't go to sleep. Her mind was racing, thinking of all the horrible things she was capable of. It was clear now why Jek wanted her so bad. She was possessed-a puppet of a terrible monster, capable of killing with ease.

Meanwhile…

Val head-desked the table with a groan.

"Its hopeless!", she yelled at her eight-armed assistant, Kasario. He stared at the blue-haired scientist in worry. That was the fourth time in the last hour she'd done that. She had to be killing brain cells.

"Cheer up! Its only the first day of research, you're not going to figure it out that fast!", Kasario assured, patting Val on the back with four hands. She whacked him away with a growl.

"You don't understand. I've been working on this for years! Nyx operates it easily because she's got that thing in her, the Darkest! It has other functions, obviously, but you know what? I CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT!", she slammed her head into the desk again, making the rock bounce a little. It changed a pale green color, then a dark orange.

"Would you CALM DOWN?", Kasario yelled, shaking his boss by the head. Val blinked in surprise, and Kasario let her go. "Never do that again! Killing your brain isn't going to help you solve anything!"

"Jeez, sorry!", Val snapped, rubbing her head, "I'm just scared. I feel something…its weird, its like….a foreboding. Its making me all snippy and worried and crap."

"…'foreboding?'"

"Yeah, its like there's something hanging over my head you know? Like Damocles' sword. Its weird. Hmm…well, I think I'm going to call it quits for tonight. I'll work some more tomorrow…can you lock up? My head hurts…", she mumbled, rubbing her forehead.

"Naw dip.", Kasario laughed. Val gave him a double high five, then winced and held her head as she went out the door.

Kasario wandered around for a while, checking all his boss's work. She had page after page of notes, and tiny stubs of pencils were randomly strewn around the room. He sighed, knowing her hands had to be in pain. He picked one page up and read, "_Must have a word to activate. Can't figure it out. Latin? Syon? English? Don't know. Remember to research._"

He thought about that, then opened his three eyes wide.

_Varacosa_.

The word flashed into his mind. It was something his mother had said once, in a story.

He sat down and wrote it on a lone sheet of notebook paper, his mind abuzz with thoughts of what this meant.

"_Once upon a time, there was a mountain. Many people visited it, beings from all around the universe, as it was said to be the closest way to reach the gods. Sacrifices were made there, creatures were bonded, mediums spoke to the gods and the dead. There was always rumor of a cave there, with crystals and a possible way to restore the dead to life. Therefore, it was referred to as the "Life Cave". _

_One day, a human showed, named Varacosa. He was boasting that he could find the cave, and restore his love to life. He went in, and before anyone knew it, he came running out from behind a rock, gibbering that he'd found it. He kept pointing beside him, yelling, 'She's back! I brought her back!', but no one saw anything…except a shadow. Varacosa ran back in and got some of the rock for the rest of the creatures, telling them to wish a loved one back, but no one moved. They were staring at the shadow._

_It swirled up around Varacosa, then it went toward his mouth. It kept whispering his name, stroking him, saying they would be together forever. He was smiling, under the spell of the creature. He was unaware that this wasn't his loved one. It was something horrible, something that should have stayed dead. It was going to kill him, possess him maybe, and one of the creatures, another human, ran forward with one of the crystals in one hand and yelled, 'VARACOSA!' at him. Varacosa yelped and stepped back, and the crystal shot a beam of light._

_It mostly missed the shadowy being, but it hit its middle, and it fell back with a screech. It vanished right there, and the group stood there, unsure of what to do. Varacosa had damned them all, released a demon unto the universe. They knew it would return, probably via another creature's body to wreak revenge."_

Kasario shivered, staring at the stone. It had brought the demon in Nyx, and yet it was the only thing that could kill it. He jumped to his feet and raced out after Val to tell her of his discovery, energy and pride boiling over.

He raced through the streets of Syon, up to her house and rapped on the door. No answer. He glanced around, considering where else she might be. He decided on the place where Nyx and her friends were staying.

Running through the streets, Kasario felt a surge of something weird. He stopped and listened, then realized what was scaring him so much.

He could hear nothing. It was silent in the usually busy streets.

He tipped his head to the sky, and his two hearts almost stopped.

Hovering in the sky were two huge ships, carrying the symbol of the monsters that called themselves the Midnighters.

**(I have done it! I've explained again! Wells, epic fight sequences coming up soon! Read and review! Pleases?)**


	10. Battle

**(Cue epic battle sequences! I've never written a battle scene before…this should be exciting!)**

**Darkest Nyx-Chapter Ten**

Nyx heard it and flew out of bed, antennae pricked-gunshots! Busting her door open, she raced down the hall, kicking doors open, screaming at her friends that they were under attack. Mi looked horrified, and Zell pulled a knife out of his belt and gave her one. Zim looked battle-ready, Dib confused and sleepy, and Kat was rounding up all the new recruits that didn't know how to fight.

"Where's Zane? And Val?", Nyx shouted over the chaos at Kat.

"Room forty-nine!", she yelled back, letting her massive amount of black hair down over her armor, streaking her face with war paint. Nyx raced off down the halls, preparing herself for battle as well. She ran past room forty-nine, then slid and ran back. She kicked the door in and yelled, "Guys, we're under-", then lowered her foot in surprise.

Val and Zane were kissing passionately on the bed, Val's top half-on, and Zane's orange shirt laying on the floor. They were laughing and smiling happily at each other, Val sitting in his lap. Nyx blinked, then broke up the lovers.

"HELLO? We're under attack, and you're making out! Come on, now!", she yelled at the scientist and the massively tall Irken. They leaped to their feet, blushing, putting on armor. Nyx left them to it, then ran back out the door. She raced past Sazuki and Lyta, and, even though she hated them, yelled to go get somewhere safe.

"Ooh, is there a battle? Are we gonna win? Are we losing? How long are we gonna fight? Can I have a sword?", Sazuki blurted in excitement.

"Yes, don't know, just started, a while, and NO!", Nyx answered, counting each question off on her fingers. She saluted Lyta, static momentarily gone, then raced off to warn anyone else. She flung open the door, and stepped in a puddle of blood.

She screamed and stepped back in horror. Laying facedown in it, breathing weakly, was one of Val's assistants, Kasario. She noted breathlessly that he had several gunshot wounds all over his body.

"T-tell Val….you g-gotta s-s-say…Varacosa…", he whispered. He pushed the stone over to Nyx's feet, and she picked it up. She held Kasario's hand, checking for a pulse. She found nothing, then tipped her head back, glaring angrily at the Midnighters' ship, which had its weapons out, hovering mere feet above Syon. She estimated they had five minutes before the _real_ fight began.

She pulled her hunting knives out, and Dib suddenly barreled into her. They fell headfirst onto the ground, and shots were fired. She yelped, rolling around, then jumped to her feet, forcing Dib up as well, running back in the shadows.

"You dumbass! What the hell is wrong with you?", Nyx snarled at the humiliated Dib. He had a frantic light in his eyes, and was backing up against the wall.

"What, you think I'm going to hurt you? I'm not, but they are!", she screeched, forcing him to look at the ships. He tried to say something, but she cut him off.

"We only have about five minutes now to get an entire goddamn planet ready for a war! What were you thinking! You could have got us both killed before it even started! What did you need so badly to do?", she snarled, poking him in his scrawny chest.

"I wanted to say…I mean, I thought…if we don't win…"

"Speak up!", Nyx yelled, tears of fear and anticipation running down her face.

"I wanted to say…I love you!", he howled, and then the ships hit the planet, cutting out any time for emotions.

They whirled, and the ships unloaded. Creatures of all sizes and shapes spilled out, filling the streets instantly, battle-cries echoing through the streets. Nyx backed away in fear, then steeled herself, twirling her knives.

"Go get somewhere safe!", she yelled at Dib.

"I want to fight with you! Please, let me-"

"SHUT UP! YOU'LL DIE IF YOU STAY!", she roared. Dib looked terrified, of her and the demonic warriors, then burst into the hotel, catching up with Kat's group of refugees. He gave Nyx one more look of longing, then ran down the stairs.

Nyx didn't have time to think about what Dib had said. A strange, crab-like warrior raced at her, clicking its claws, and she fought violently with her knives, slicing its arms off. It managed to strike her twice on her face before she killed it. She started to run out into the streets when she realized something-it had no shadow. She shivered, then ran out into the midst of the madness.

Dib's POV

Dib hurried down the darkened stairwell, and managed to pass Zim, who was giving Kat lip about how he wanted to fight. He normally would've smirked, but his mind was in turmoil.

How? How had he fallen for one of the race he hated so much? It was strange, uncalled for, and it made him feel awkward. But…she made all that go away. He got all fluttery around her, and blushed a lot when he talked to her. He knew she must like him a little as well, but there was something else. Something that wouldn't let her get near him…

He stumbled into a tiny, pitch black room, and paced around, bumping into other people and walls. He ignored their indignant cries, mind racing.

What would happen if she died? If _he _died? If they were attacked now, none of these recruits would be able to defend themselves. Kat wouldn't be able to hold them off for long. He started panicking, wondering how he got into this in the first place. One minute, it was a boring day at school, and the next it was a life-or-death battle on a strange planet with the one he thought he loved.

He sat down and buried his head in his hands, crying softly.

Val's POV

Val hurried down the halls, holding Zane's hand. He was staring determinedly at the door, the sounds of gunfire, screams, and battle cries echoing loudly in the hotel. He bent down and kissed her once, and she hugged him, before wrenching the door open.

She took a step back in terror at the sight of Kasario's body. She covered her mouth and held back a scream. Zane squeezed her shoulder, and nodded at something.

Nyx was in a clump of creatures, fighting like a demon, but still getting overwhelmed.

Val screeched and pulled two guns out of her belt, running into the battle. Zane took on another crowd, who were attacking two twin Syons.

Val got back-to-back with Nyx, who smiled and said, "You're a little late, aren't you?"

"Quiet, I'm here, aren't I?", she smirked, and Nyx started slicing at a creature whose head was almost entirely made up of eyes. She stabbed deep into its brain, then ripped the knife out. The creature fell with a wail, and Val high-fived her friend.

"Val, you're not a warrior, you're a scientist! Take this and go replace Kat!", Nyx ordered, slashing at a duck-headed thing with a human body. She handed Val the Life Stone, and twirled, slicing limbs open all around her. The ranks fell back, hissing and screeching. In the pause, Nyx yelled, "Kasario told me you have to say, 'Varacosa', to get it to work! Now go, and tell Kat to get here fast!".

Val saluted, then slipped out between the legs of an armed humanoid looking thing with five green arms. It roared, and she shot upwards at its, ah, organ. It-he- wailed and dropped, and Val stumbled to her feet, running once again into the hotel. She slipped and slid down the stairs, pounding on the door, yelling, "It's Val! Let me in!".

Kat wrenched the door open, and Val screamed, "They need you! Go now!". Kat saluted, going up the stairs now. Val slid in the room, slammed the huge metal door, and turned to survey her new surroundings. A room full of recruits were staring wide-eyed at her. She rubbed the back of her head and smiled a weak, uneasy smile.

"How come she got to go and not me?", Zim demanded.

"She's a trained warrior. You're a new recruit. Do the math.", Val grumbled flopping down.

"What math?", Zim asked. Val shook her head, locking the warped door.

Mi's POV

Mi kicked and punched, using her martial arts training to immobilize enemies so Zell could kill them. They fought quickly, lethally, destroying the attackers in huge numbers. Mi got back-to-back with Zell while they regrouped. Mi reached for his hand, and he let one hand fall off his huge gun so he could hold it. They smiled briefly at each other, then blasted into battle again.

Earlier, the two had been laying together on Zell's bed, not a care in the world, chatting about human school food and Zane's driving skills. Mi had grabbed him and stolen a kiss. "You'll always be there to protect me, won't you, Zell?", she'd asked. He'd nuzzled her and said with a big, crooked grin, "Of course I will!"

Those words were now being put to the test as they fought for the lives of themselves, their friends, and the universe itself. It was strange how fast things could change, from a night laying together to a battle to the death.

Mi kicked a female cat-like creature in the neck, then punched her in the nose. She landed a few more kicks, then leaped onto another enemy while Zell finished the last off. She smiled demonically. They'd felled about fifty enemies now. They were practically invincible.

And that's when she heard Nyx scream.

**What happened to Nyx? Will the recruits stay safe? Will they win the battle? Read the next heart-pounding chapter of Darkest Nyx to find out!**


	11. Cyrus?

**( I actually have a paper with the plot of Darkest Nyx written on it. I have to keep it hidden from my sister, one of my readers! Hope you enjoy my **_**deus de machine **_**everyone!)**

**Darkest Nyx-Chapter Eleven**

Rage. It was the only thing Nyx could feel. She screeched, a warrior having managed to get a hand-hold on her scarf. He was choking and dragging her to the ship, where she would have horrible things happen to her…she couldn't let that happen-not now. Her friends were in danger.

With a yowl of outrage, she closed her eyes and submitted to the defect.

Moments later, she opened her eyes, and fell down in alarm. The alien attackers were all dead, except for her friends, standing frozen in terror. Nyx looked around in horror, then saw her bloodied hands. Her eyes widened and she stifled a crazy, defeated sob. She had lost herself, become a monster, killed all the creatures in the field with no mercy.

Zane started forward, nursing an openly bleeding wound on one arm. Mi was clinging to the back of Zane's shirt, huge black eyes wide in fear. Nyx looked up and saw them, and yelled, eyes wide with fear, fear of herself, "Stay back!".

"It's okay Nyx. It's gonna be-"

"SHUT UP! ITS NOT OKAY!", Nyx screamed, interrupting Kat's assuring.

"Nyx, please calm down before-", Zane started, but was cut off by a furious, frenzied Nyx.

"CALM DOWN? WHY SHOULD I CALM DOWN? WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A WAR, AND I HAVE SOME EVIL CREATURE IN ME, AND I JUST KILLED A WHOLE FIELD OF PEOPLE! HOW DO I CALM-"

Nyx was broken off by a laugh. Not a normal laugh, a strange, disturbing laugh, echoing from behind her. She saw the color drain from her friends' faces, then turned around slowly, and her face also lost its green color, for standing in the field was her old enemy. Jek smiled deviously, his red cloak billowing out behind him, one long antennae curving down his back. However, he didn't frighten her.

What scared her was that, wrapped in the strong arms of her enemy, was the pale, bony figure that could only be identified as her dead fiancé, Cyrus.

Meanwhile…

"…do you hear that?", Val murmured. Zim cocked his head and listened, then shook his head.

"I don't hear anything."

"Exactly.", she said, standing up. Dib looked up from the floor, dimly interested.

"The battle must be over….but who's still standing?", Val whispered. Talk broke out among the gathered trainees, and suddenly Val held a hand up for silence.

"Someone's coming.", she hissed. Everyone tensed, and Val pressed her ear to the door. Zim took a fighting stance, hopping from foot to foot.

"Kassi reno myahian stagria Lyta!", someone screamed, desperation evident in their voice. Val yelped.

"Lyta!", she yelled, and then a frenzy of Syonian words broke out, to fast to understand. Val wrenched the door open, with a good amount of help, and Lyta burst in, babbling in Syon, holding Sazuki in her arms. The smaller Syon looked terrified, and was bleeding out of a head wound. Lyta wasn't any better off, sporting cuts all over her body, gashes ripped through her clothing.

"She…wants you to help…we need help.", Sazuki explained, translating. Suddenly, Lyta collapsed. Val gasped and helped her into a corner, where Sazuki wrapped her three fox tails around her teacher's arm reassuringly. Val set to work on her, sealing off the blood flows with strips of fabric from her lab coat. Soon, they were bandaged up, looking almost like mummies in places. Normally, it would have been funny, but the seriousness of the battle held the air in silence.

Val looked in terror at the open door, considering what horrors lay in wake beyond it.

She could only pray her friends and lover were still alive.

On the field…

"Cyrus?", Nyx whispered, standing her ground. She didn't believe it was really him. The scrawny Irken's huge blue eyes widened and filled with tears. He nodded . Jek snorted, then kicked Cyrus in the small of his back, sending him sprawling, with a groan, onto the hard ground. He lay there for a while before shakily pushing himself to his knees. He sat there, barely holding himself upright.

"How touching. The loving couple reunited, only to be killed. And for you," Jek smirked at Cyrus, "die again."

"Don't touch…her.", he hissed. Nyx covered her eyes as Jek kicked him again. Cyrus fell with a moan, and Nyx gritted her teeth. Another fury episode was coming, making the heat rise behind her eyes. She tried to control it, but she could feel herself losing. Jek noticed, and laughed that psychotic laugh. It broke off into creepy giggles that made Nyx's spine tingle.

"You think you can stop me? You think you can kill me? Think again, little child!"

Nyx felt something in her brain snap.

She let out a ripping screech, and launched herself at Jek, ignoring the screams of warnings from her friends. She focused on Jek's face, smirking defiantly, fearlessly. She held a fist out and prepared to hit him, when his hand flashed out.

He caught her fist, twisted it backwards, making her howl in pain. She kicked at his lower half, but he leaned back and her foot swung away, narrowly avoiding Cyrus's head. Jek smiled, then threw her away. Zane reached out to try to grab her, but he was to far away.

Nyx hit the ground hard, and she felt something crack. She groaned, and suddenly, everything went black. She looked up in alarm, and saw a shadow swirling above her. She snarled, then summoned hers. The shadows grappled, landing semi-invisible blows on each other. In an insane surge of happiness, Nyx acted like she was in a Pokemon battle, screaming moves at her shadow.

Nyx's shadow whirled and bit at Jek's. Nyx was dimly aware of Cyrus attempting to stand. She snorted, but it turned into a gasp.

Jek pulled away from her and made for the ship, dragging Cyrus by his shirt collar (what was left of it). The younger Irken was to weak to try to fight. Nyx tried to go after them, but she was preoccupied by her enemy's shadow. She eventually ducked out from under and ordered her shadow to stand down. It followed after her, rejoining and reshaping to look normal.

"Nyx! It's a trap!", Zane screamed, but it was to late. Nyx had already boarded the ship.

And to make matters worse, it started up.

Kat threw her sword in a matter of desperation, but you can't knock an entire ship down with one weapon.

Nyx was trapped in her worst nightmare.

**More epic cliffhangers! Man, I'm getting good at this! Okay, well, the **_**deus de machine**_** (unexpected feature), was Cyrus! Is it really him? If so, how? Find out in the next chapter!**


	12. To Spark A War

**(Explaining chappy. Hard to imagine this whole fic came about because I was playing around with my shadow one afternoon. Even harder to imagine there's only a few chapters left. *sob*)**

**Darkest Nyx-Chapter Twelve**

Nyx heard the doors slam shut behind her, but she made no intention to go out them. She stood and stared Jek in the eye. He broke away, giggling madly, and Cyrus looked horrified, choking on his collar, pulled taut by his captor. Nyx snarled, whipping out her gun. Jek stopped laughing and tipped his head curiously at it.

"You really think its going to be that easy? Go ahead and try it, but be warned.", he said in a bored manner.

"About time I kicked your crazy ass!", Nyx yelled, firing off bullets.

Not a single one touched him.

His shadow had darted in front of him and stopped the projectile.

"Now do you see what I mean?", Jek smiled. His shadow dropped the bullets, but stayed in front of him in protection. Nyx hissed and slid the gun back in her belt.

"You're going to come calmly with me, and if you make any intention of running, your friend here will pay the price.", Jek said with a wicked grin at Cyrus. He released the smaller Irken, and Cyrus ran to Nyx. She grabbed his arm and held him behind her.

"Come now.", Jek yawned, waltzing almost drunkenly away. The couple exchanged glances, and Nyx whispered, "Come on. I don't want any more pain inflicted on you.".

Cyrus nodded and followed, supported by Nyx. Jek led them down a hall, through some stairs, and finally to a heavily guarded holding cell. He snapped his fingers and the guards slid apart, making a path into the iron prison.

"And now, I bid you ado.", Jek cackled, dancing out the room. Nyx stared after him, then turned to the sentries.

"You don't really expect me to go in there without a fight, do you?", she sneered at one of them, an Irken.

"Well, I have the guns here.", he smirked. Nyx made the mistake of pulling hers out. The guard wrenched it out of her good hand (the other was hanging uselessly at her side), and gave it to his partner.

"Bastard.", Nyx grumbled.

"Get in the cell."

Nyx did, helping Cyrus as well. The doors slid shut, and she turned to face her fiancé, his face illuminated by the small lamp hanging from one wall. She only had one word for him.

"How?". He flopped down on the floor, and Nyx did the same, wincing slightly at a broken something or other. She noted how Cyrus was half shirtless, with scars running up and down his back. His bright blue eyes were scared and defeated, a wild light dimmed with hopeless despair.

"He needed me in order to get to you.", he whispered. She tipped his chin up and he smiled weakly.

"From the beginning.", she said. He took a deep breath, gathering his memories, then began his tragic tale of torture and madness.

"That night I left, I really thought it was a vacation. But I was wrong. I met up with fourteen other Irkens, all thinking the same. We filed onto a ship, and before we knew it, we were strapped to a machine, and some crazy man in red was laughing at us. He brought up a transmission, and I suppose you were watching, because I saw you.

"He turned on the machine, intending to tear our shadows loose, make us insane like the rest of his warriors. At least, that's what you were supposed to think. He turned the machine on, but it didn't kill us. Only knocked us unconscious. It was a move to do what he'd wanted for so long, a move to spark a war.

"Soon after, you did what he planned-started a group to fight him. He wants this because he needs to know he's in control, that he's stronger than the rest of the universe. He wants power, and that's why he needs you, the Darkest.", Cyrus stopped to catch his breath, and saw Nyx staring thoughtfully at the ceiling.

"I know what this thing, the 'Darkest' is, it told me in a dream, but I don't know what it does besides kill."

"That's not all it does. If expanded and let run free, it can envelop entire planets, block out the sun, attack savagely, anything. A living nightmare, that's what it is."

"How do you know?", she whispered. The color had drained from her face, and she was toying edgily with her scarf.

"Jek rants. A lot.", he explained, and she laid back on the cold stone floor, closing her eyes.

"Recap what's happened to you in specific."

"Well, he took us, all fifteen of us, here. He tortured us. Made us tell him all we knew about the Armada, and any other planet's defenses. Those who blabbed first got assigned as guards and warriors.", he said, nodding at the Irken outside the cell, holding Nyx's gun. " I, however, didn't know anything about our planet's defenses.* Jek didn't believe me. He thought I was lying, so he tortured me even worse.", Cyrus broke off, eyes flickering, thinking of all the horrors he'd been put through.

"He…he got me to say that I loved you. That was all I said, except screams. Eventually, he gave up on me. He knew I had no information. But…later, he came back. I thought he was going to kill me, but no. He said he was going to use me. I was going to be his puppet. He was going to bring you here through me…I didn't want to, I wanted you to stay far away from here, yet here we both are, in the den of the enemy.", he mumbled, shame darkening his voice.

"…its not your fault you know. Its mine. Everyone said I needed to run back there, but I stayed and fought. I guess I love you enough to come here and face death.", Nyx murmured thoughtfully from the floor. They stayed in silence for a while before Nyx once again broke it.

"Do you remember Zim?", she asked, sitting up. Cyrus smiled a smile of a broken man.

"Of course I do. Being locked in here for ten years, I've been going over and over memories in my head, reliving my past."

"Well…he misses you. A lot."

"You've seen him?", Cyrus gasped.

"Aye. He's on Syon, the planet I was chosen to conquer."

"At least someone's safe."

"…tell me something…"

"What is it?"

"Did you…were you two ever closer than just friends?"

Cyrus shifted, glancing nervously at the walls, then his hands, then back at the walls.

"Well…for a while, yes.", he admitted. Nyx cocked her head, and said, "Zim…he said he loved you a while ago."

"Er…"

"Why did you want to marry me if you loved him?", she questioned.

"I…um…well-"

Whatever he was about to say was cut off by a battle-cry.

_Kat's_ battle cry.

***Cyrus worked in a music business. Naturally, he wouldn't know about planetary defenses.**

**Yet another cliffhanger! What's going to happen next? Can Kat and whomever she's brought with her save the day? Find out next time in Darkest Nyx!**


	13. Rising Tempers and Plans

**(Okay, here goes the next chapter of Darkest Nyx…but you already knew that…okay!)**

**Darkest Nyx-Chapter Thirteen**

"_Kat_?", Nyx gasped, already up on her feet. Cyrus scrambled after her, boots scuffing the stone floor.

No reply, but they could hear Kat and several others beating up the guards further off down the hallway. One of them screamed and ran, but Kat threw a knife, and the guy fell, dying a gruesome death.

In Nyx's mind, he deserved it. All the Midnighters did, in retribution for all the horrid things they had done.

"Hang on, scar face, we'll get you outta there!", Kat yelled back. Nyx blinked at her old nickname, then whipped around to Cyrus.

"What are these bars made out of?", she barked. His eyes widened, and he said, "Pretty sure its just iron, why?"

"Kat's sword can break through that…are you sure its not from Syon?"

"Pretty sure, but I can't be-"

"Save it! Kat, come on!", Nyx yelled, and Kat bounded happily down the hall, blood staining her armor, black hair bobbing around her pale face. She looked positively pleased with herself for killing them all. Several of her trusted warriors, Zane, Mi, Zell, and Val followed her, also covered in blood.

Nyx fought back a wave of nausea, then ordered, "You have to break the bars with that sword of yours, or we're never getting out of here!"

Kat smiled, then raised her sword and prepared to swing. It was about to strike the metal, when they heard it.

Sadistic laughter echoing from behind them. Standing in the doorway was the familiar form of Nyx's worst enemy.

"Isn't this _touching_?", Jek cooed, and if Nyx had hair, it would have been sticking up.

He staggered drunkenly up to Kat, who snarled at him and held her sword towards his throat. He snapped his fingers, eyes never leaving Nyx's face.

His shadow crawled up from behind him and whipped Kat's sword away. She gasped, then clenched her fists and started to roar a curse, but Nyx held her hand up.

"Why are you down here? You wouldn't come here unless you had a reason.", she said coolly. He beamed, (Nyx fought another wave of disgust), and purred, "Well, its time."

"Time for what?", she snarled, losing the nice act in 2.5 seconds. Jek snapped his fingers, and several shadows swarmed down the stairs, whirling around Kat and her friends. Nyx heard Mi scream, and the color faded from her face.

"You let them go right now! They haven't done anything!", Nyx ordered, voice shaking a little. Jek giggled like a little kid, going on for a few awkward minutes. Suddenly he snapped to attention and said with a positively devious smile, "Ah, but it won't matter soon though, Nyx. We're all going to die, even me. I'm finally going to get my revenge, the revenge I've wanted for so long!"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!", Nyx roared, voice echoing loudly throughout the cavernous cell. Jek didn't flinch.

"We're all going to die Nyx, and you want to know the best part?", he purred, leaning in to the bars. Nyx heard Cyrus make a small terrified whimper.

"Its all going to all be done by you!", and with that, hell broke loose.

Meanwhile…

"I can't believe they left us here!", Zim yelled, kicking a wall. Dib was sitting glumly on the ground nearby, thinking about what could possibly be going on with Nyx.

GIR was running around yelling _DOOM_, and Mira was following him, trying to keep herself from panicking. _How did I sleep through all that? How is that even possible?_, Mira wondered, furious at herself.

"I hope they're okay…", Mira said out loud. Dib looked up briefly, then back at the ground. Zim, however, whirled and yelled, "They probably aren't! I bet they would be if they'd just taken Zim! I'm an unstoppable death machine!"

"Sianog myeef kist myree Nyx!", someone yelled in Syon. They all turned to see Lyta standing, arms crossed, with a deadly glare. Sazuki was standing beside her, mimicking her posture.

"She said we need to help Nyx, 'cause she's in trouble!", Sazuki announced.

"Thank you, captain obvious!", Zim retorted. Sazuki looked offended, and her leader came to her rescue. She lashed out at the Irken and started barking at him, face close to his, jabbing her finger violently at him. Zim started yelling back as well, and with the added effect of GIR screaming and Mira telling him to stop, the hotel room was soon in screeching turmoil.

"WOULD YOU ALL JUST SHUT UP?", Dib wailed unexpectedly from the ground. Everyone froze (minus GIR), and turned to gawk at him. He glared back.

"We're sitting here, waiting for God only knows what to happen, while our friends fight for their lives with some psychopathic creep in the middle of space on a gang's ship while we sit here and fight amongst ourselves! Do you really want to fight, or is it just nerves, because I have them to, and I'm not fighting, am I?", he said.

Everyone glanced around at each other, then stepped back from their fighting stances.

"Thank you. Now, does anyone have any idea where a ship we could use is? I've got a plan."

**(What is the plan? What's going to happen to Nyx and co.? Find out in Chapter Fourteen of Darkest Nyx! Hmmm, this was a relatively short chapter, but the next will make up for that.)**


	14. Protector

**(The emotions abound…)**

**Darkest Nyx-Chapter Fourteen**

Nyx kicked and yelled curses as she was dragged by the scarf up the stairs by Jek, who was giggling insanely. She punched him hard in the knee, but he didn't stumble, only tightened his grip on the strip of fabric.

"You demon-ass little effing bitch! Let me go!", she roared. However worried for herself she seemed, Nyx was more concerned about her friends-also being forced up the stairs.

"Oh, shut up!", Jek snickered, opening a door by placing his hand on a scanner. Nyx tried to scramble away when he loosened his grip, but he just yanked the scarf in response, making her choke.

"I swear to any damn god there is, I'll kill your crazy ass!", she coughed, rubbing her neck.

"Silence!", he ordered.

The doors slid open, and Nyx and everyone gasped in horror and awe.

The room was made of a strange, see-through material that almost resembled glass. It was _huge_. _Cavernous_, even. Milling about were several shadows with huge glowing eyes-no living creatures, though. The air was charged with an unnatural energy that made everyone's hair stand on end.

But what really scared them was sitting in the middle of the floor.

A giant machine was there, buttons glowing ominously. It took up half the room, and had a table in front of it, leather straps hanging down from the sides. The sight of it made Nyx's skin crawl.

The doors slammed shut, and the shadows slid out through the bottom. Zane leaped over to Val and held her, while Zell comforted Mi. Kat stared helplessly, confused. The other warriors stood and stared, equally powerless.

"Well," Jek said with a broad smile, "It's time to meet your doom, Nyx!"

They stared at each other-Nyx incredulous, Jek beaming-not speaking.

"You've gotta be kidding me.", Nyx mumbled, turning to the door. Jek's anger frothed over and he howled a battle cry.

His shadow whipped out from behind him and seized Nyx by the waist, pinning her to the ground. Kat yelled and launched herself at it, her own green-eyed shadow whipping around her. Jek flicked his wrist, and something impossible happened.

A knife flew through the air.

Kat yelped and attempted to duck, but it struck her in the shoulder. With a howl of pain, she fell to the ground, blood making the floor slick.

"KAT!", Nyx gasped, but the shadow slammed her head into the floor.

"Any more objections?" , Jek said with a wicked smirk.

The team stood frozen absolute horror. No one dared to move, in fear that the demonic Irken before them had more weapons. Kat made growled, holding her shoulder, glaring up at Jek.

"Good.", he said simply, then snapped his fingers. The shadow lifted Nyx off the ground, then laid her on the table. Cyrus reached for her, but Jek held his hand out threateningly, never losing his even stare. Cyrus lowered his hand with a lost look.

"I'll never surrender.", Nyx whispered. The shadow slammed her head once again into the table. Val gasped, and Nyx slid into unconsciousness.

"_What is wrong with you?", a voice whispers. Nyx stares around, blinking in confusion. That voice…it's strange, unfamiliar-a man's voice. "Who are you?", she calls. "You may know my name. I'm Varacosa.", it murmurs, and Nyx stumbles remembering what Kasario had said. A human's form appears, and he stares seriously at her. "Wake up. You have to end this-end what I started. Wake up."_

Nyx jerked awake, then realized something-she was strapped down to the table, and her friends were fighting Jek. She groaned, looking to her left, where the machine was. It was powered up, she realized with a jolt, and the ceiling had a hole in it.

_Why a hole in the ceiling?, _Nyx wondered. Jek yowled like a cat, and Nyx whipped her head (with a great deal of pain), and saw him getting punched repetitively in the face by Mi. Zell was behind him, attempting to restrain him. Suddenly, Jek punched Mi so hard she screamed and stumbled backwards.

Zell gasped and ran after her, attempting to steady her, when Jek did the unthinkable.

He ripped a sword out of his belt, one that had been concealed by his red cape, and stabbed downwards.

Time slowed. Screams of Zell's name were howled. His eyes closed. He shuddered, then slumped onto Mi.

Mi stood, not comprehending what had just happened.

Jek laughed a freakish, maniacal laugh, and it settled in.

Zell, the warrior, the seemingly invincible one, was dying.

"Remember…all that time ago…", he whispered, breaking off into bloody coughs. Mi clutched him close, sobbing. Jek stared, smiling demonically.

"…w-when I told you…I'd always protect you…" he mumbles. Mi stroked his face, sobbing uncontrollably.

"I…I'm glad I could…save you…one last time…", and then, the yellow-clad warrior died.

Mi stood like a statue, staring down at him, then tipped her face, ever so slowly up.

Her huge black eyes were spilling tears, and Jek was smiling cruelly back at her. "You know, if you hadn't fought, he could still be-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!", she screamed. She pounced, Zell's gun in one hand, roaring curse after curse, beating the shit out of Jek. He yowled and fought back, but she pounded his face harder and harder, wailing and sobbing, but somehow keeping herself in control enough to attack.

"YOU BITCH! YOU GODDAM SON OF A BITCH!", she howled. Jek tried to stop her fist, but she grabbed his hand and bent it back, cracking it. He wailed, but was interrupted by something even worse.

Nyx was screaming. Long, ripping screeches that made her body shake. Everyone stopped, even Mi, to see what was happening.

And instantly they regretted it.

The machine had powered up, and was working its horrifying magic. Nyx screamed again, a sound of utter agony, and _something_ floated out of her. A shadow, it looked like.

Except it wasn't a shadow.

It was the Darkest, and it was being loosed to wreak its ungodly havoc.

**(Wow…just…wow. I can't believe I just did that…I'm so sorry Zell! *sobs uncontrollably*)**


	15. Varacosa!

**(Okay, VERY near the end…I can't believe it! Y'know, I use up most of my free time brainstorming for this fic, which, if you read any of my others, is why I haven't updated recently…sorry!)**

**Darkest Nyx-Chapter Fifteen**

Agony. That was the only word to describe what Nyx felt. Her body felt like it was being ripped in half, like her brain was melting, like the world was falling down around her-and it very well could be.

Jek laughed weakly, defiantly from the ground, and Mi pounded his bloodied face again.

"Make it stop! Let her go!", Cyrus wailed, barely audible over Nyx. Jek scowled, blood dripping down from his broken nose.

"I can't! I made that machine to make her lose control and let the Darkest out! She's supposed to be dead!", he said, which only made Mi pummel him again.

Nyx screeched, blood coming from her throat-the screams were that powerful. She was crying hard, pain making her incapable of thinking of anything but it.

_Fight!_, the voice, Varacosa, whispered. Nyx wailed in response, not having the mind to do anything else.

The shadow, the Darkest, was floating above her head, out the hole in the ceiling. It didn't even look like her anymore-the eyes were a deep, bloody red, and it had a demented smile. It was huge, so giant it couldn't even fit in the room. The sky was bending, it seemed, or maybe that was just from Nyx's friends' point of view.

Mi had finally stopped attacking. Now she was only sobbing, holding onto Zell. Val was clinging onto Zane, Kat was prying the knife out of her shoulder, and Cyrus was attempting to turn off the machine-but only attempting. Jek wasn't lying-it didn't seem to be made for anything but pain.

It seemed all hope was lost.

Meanwhile…

"Where is it?", Mira yelled, scanning around outside the windows for the ship.

"How should I know?", Zim growled.

"Well, I'd think you had a planned course!", Mira snarled back.

"Why would I have a planned-"

"I see it! I see it!", Sazuki gasped, pointing with both hands out the window.

"Hang on to something!", Dib ordered, and the Syons, Irken, and robots all did as told. Dib veered the ship to the right, and, with screams from the group, went almost upside down after it. A few seconds in, the ship straightened, and Dib yelled, "Everyone okay?".

Lyta sat up, rubbing her head, and hissed something in Syon that might have been a curse. Sazuki and Gir were giggling, Mira looked absolutely terrified, and Zim looked irritated.

Dib looked down out the window, and all the color faded from his face.

"What the _hell_…", he whispered. Everyone clustered around the window, and the feeling of horror was mutual.

Floating in the air was a black creature-almost like a shadow, except it had actual mass. Claws glinted, teeth were bared, blood red eyes glowed demonically, and screams were heard.

_Nyx's_ screams.

"We're going in.", Dib growled. Zim stared at him like he was psycho.

"You insane human scum! There is no way on Irk I'm going on that! Do you not see the demon thing?", Zim yelled, shaking Dib by the shoulder.

"We're not on Irk.", Dib said simply, then hit the turbo button. Everyone screamed as their ship plummeted towards the demon.

And possibly their doom.

On the Midnighters' ship…

Nyx felt like she was literally going to explode. The shadow had almost ripped from her, and it seemed that it was taking her life with it. She screamed in fear, not pain, when she got a glimpse of it.

_That thing's been inside me?, _she thought in disgust, momentarily able to think. Some of the pain had receded. It screed, and Nyx screamed in response. Her friends didn't know what to do, except try to destroy the machine.

And then three things happened. Three impossible, crazy things that never could have happened, did.

Zane's ship, piloted by Dib and several of Nyx's screaming friends, crashed through the ceiling, but somehow they didn't crash-land.

Nyx managed to gather enough of her rapidly depleting energy to yell, "Varacosa!".

And the most impossible thing of all, the strangest, weirdest, craziest thing Nyx had ever seen, happened.

The Life Stone, hanging around Val's neck, floated, yes _floated_, up into the air, and started to glow. Val stumbled backwards in fear and confusion, as did everyone else. The rock hovered there, as if debating whether or not it had time, then tipped up at the Darkest.

The thing looked down, saw the rock, and laughed like it was the most hilarious thing ever. The laugh made every hair on every body stand on end, and then…

…the rock hummed, lighting up. "Varacosa! Varacosa! Varacosa!", Nyx screamed over and over, and soon everyone else joined in, too. The name that started it all became a desperate chant to save the world.

**(Well, what will happen? WHAT WILL HAPPEN? The update shall come later today! For now, I shall chant with them…wish us luck!)**


	16. The Truth

**(Oh, God, there's only one chapter left after this one! Oh my God, I never thought the day would come! I'll have plenty to do after this fic though…thanks for reading it!)**

**Darkest Nyx-Chapter Sixteen**

It all happened so fast.

"VARACOSA!", Nyx screamed once more, and the rock lifted, tilted up towards the Darkest, then exploded in a beam of pure, blinding white light. Everyone yelled and covered their eyes.; if they hadn't, they may have burned out or melted; the light was that strong.

The creature made an ungodly noise, one of pain it seemed, but the beam just grew stronger in response. The sound was deafening, a sort of_ SHREE_ noise, echoing loudly, and mixed with the howling demon, it sounded like the universe was exploding.

They could only pray it wasn't.

The howls went on and on, and Nyx began to wonder if they would ever end. Horrible images of being trapped with only the howls and light flashed into her head.

And then it was over.

It took a second for Zane and everyone else took a minute to comprehend what had just happened, then cheered in a spur of absolute happiness-the Darkest was gone!

"You…idiots!", Jek coughed from the floor. Everyone turned to stare at him, confused. He glared up at them, his face a bloodied pulp-Mi's deadly handiwork. He probably had brain damage, too, from getting his head slammed into the floor so many times.

"What do you mean?", Kat barked. Behind her, Val grabbed the Stone tentatively out of the air and put it back around her neck.

"You…didn't realize?", he hissed. Dib felt his stomach clench for some reason.

"Realize what?", Zane said coolly.

"Look…at your little friend!", he snarled, then broke off into bloody chokes.

With a sickening sense of horror, they all turned to see Nyx lying limp on the table, eyes half-open, barely breathing. "H-help…", she murmured.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?", Dib roared at Jek, surprisingly loud. Jek shrugged weakly.

"I could explain…but you wouldn't listen.", he grumbled. Dib bent down and grabbed him by the shirt.

"What. Did. You. Do?", he growled. Jek stared defiantly back, but now there was a hint of fear in his eyes-the bastard couldn't defend himself in this condition.

"Fine. I'll explain.", he smirked. Dib kept a hold on his shirt in case he tried anything.

Meanwhile, Kat and Zim were checking on Nyx, and they realized something-_her shadow was gone!_

"To put it simply, you didn't kill the Darkest."

"Wha-you just saw-"

"Your friend there is the Darkest.", Jek smirked. Dib blinked.

"We knew that. The thing's been inside her-"

"No. It _is_ her.", he stressed. Dib blinked again, then lowered himself to stare darkly into Jek's eyes.

"Spill it all. I need answers. Maybe then I won't kill you.", he said with a dark tone. Jek smiled a creepy smile, then delved into the truth and lies of Nyx's past.

"When the Darkest came back…it needed a body to control. It found something…it could build up in, harness its strength back with…that was Nyx. It came to her when she was created…took the form of her shadow, grew up with her…That defect of hers? The Darkest gaining control…", Jek stopped to wheeze, and Dib stared at the ground with wide eyes and a pale face.

"You know how…she said you can't survive without your…other half? Well, hers is gone now, and once its gone, you can't get it back…unless…"

"Unless what?", Dib whispered. He could hear the frantic sounds of his new friends and old enemy trying hopelessly to revive Nyx. Zane, however, stood behind him and listened.

"…you have to give her a…second ch-chance….", he mumbled, slipping from reality. Dib shook him hard, and he jerked back.

"What do you mean?", he growled, tears spilling.

"…you have to give her…another shadow. One to keep her alive…"

"How do I do that?", Dib said, with force. Zane shifted uncomfortably-he knew how, and it was nothing easy. The next words Jek said chilled them to their cores.

"You have to kill one of your friends.", he said icily.

Zane turned his face away when Dib turned to him for help, guidance, who knows-he just looked with those huge, glass framed eyes filled with terror and disbelief.

"You're lying!", he snarled at Jek, grabbing his shirt with both hands, jostling him hard.

"'fraid not.", he smirked. Dib held his fist up like he was going to punch, but Zane stopped him.

"He's not lying. In fact, everything he said was true."

"You-you knew?", Dib choked. Zane looked at him solemnly.

"I did. I knew for a while, actually-after she let it loose in the battlefield. It all came to me, and probably everyone else-this thing was controlling her, and had been for as long as we've known."

"Wha-what do we do now?", Dib whispered. Kat was slapping Nyx, frustrated tears streaming down her face. Nyx stared helplessly, eyes glassing over.

"Where's my shadow?", she asked weakly, her voice a dull monotone.

"You don't have one anymore.", Jek deadpanned, and Nyx looked confused.

"Who…took it?", she murmured.

"It died" he said (cue confused stare from Nyx), "But one of your friends can give you a new one.", Jek said with a Cheshire cat smile. Dib kicked him, anger building up.

"We're not doing that!"

"Then let her die….or become a zombie….whatever happens first.", he said, voice thick with boredom and blood.

"Don't say that! She's not gonna-"

"I don't wanna die.", Nyx mumbled. She sounded lost, like a little kid, then her eyes widened, practically popping out of her head. She looked like she was going to scream, but she just clawed silently at the table. The unhooked straps twirled in her hands, and she let out a soft moan.

"Better move fast…you're losing her.", Jek said deviously.

"What's he talking about, Earth-worm?", Zim asked voice harsh as usual, but looking doubtful.

Dib stared at the ground. _How do I tell them that one of them has to die? _He thought, desperate. His fists balled when he heard Jek explain with a cold sort of delight.

"Help…", Nyx whispered, face white as snow.

"I can't! I can't do this! I don't know what to-"

"I'll do it.", someone said, there voice strong, powerful, resonating. Determined and positive of what was to happen to them.

The voice was Mi's.

**(Gah! I just…gah! Why do I do horrible things? I don't know! I just do! Okay, well, one chapter, an epilogue, and then…a surprise that The American Ranger and Slytherin Queen 1.30 already know about…again, I'm so devious…)**


	17. Suprise Attack

**(The second-to-last chapter! And then an Epilogue! But this is pretty much it! Thanks for reading this far!)**

**Darkest Nyx-Chapter Seventeen**

"No! God damn it, no!", Dib snarled. Mi stared blankly at her friend.

"I've already lost what was most important to me.", she whispered. Zane's heart ached when he saw her emotionless black eyes fixated on Zell's corpse.

"I'm not going to let you do this!", Kat growled. Mi sighed a lost, hopeless sigh.

"But you must.", she murmured.

Lost, frustrated stares filled the room. Jek cackled weakly from the ground. Mi stared with indifferent confidence at the shuddering form of Nyx. She closed her eyes, stood slowly, and turned to face Jek, a dark light filling her eyes.

"How do I do it?"

Jek grinned, then said, "Glad to know there's some bravery left in the world."

"Shut up and tell me.", Mi growled. Jek shut up and cracked his knuckles.

"Well, one of your friends there has to kill you and let your blood flow over Nyx, then say a spell to release your shadow."

Silence. No one had thought it would be that….gruesome.

When no one raised their hand as a volunteer murderer, Jek smirked and said, "Guess that'll be me!", and pulled himself (with an absurd amount of strain) to his feet.

He padded over to the table where Nyx was strapped, and Mi followed, head down. Nyx looked up, eyes filmy, only barely conscious.

"N-no…", she whispered at the sight of Jek pulling a knife out of his sleeve.

"Ah, but yes!", he giggled. Behind him, Mi remained impassive, scarcely moving.

Zane, along with others, could feel something in the air-an odd foreboding, like something big was about to happen….

"Well," Jek said, putting the knife to Mi's neck, "Any last words?"

"Yes, actually, two: DIE BITCH!", Mi screeched. And within seconds, she had wrestled the knife from his hands, and was holding mere centimeters from his heart.

He held his hands out in surprise, and his eyes widened in horror and surprise.

"This is for all the people you ever killed. INCLUDING ZELL!", she snarled in his remaining antennae.

And, with one thrust downwards, the tyrannical reign of Jek, leader of the Midnighters, came to a gruesome and bloody end.

The gathered members of the group had seen many deaths, but this….it was horrible…yet necessary. As Mi began the spell, Zane felt the warmness of Val on his arm, and bent to hold her. Zim squeezed Cyrus' hand, and Kat patted Dib on the head. Everyone else stood and watched in a stunned form of horror.

The shadow slid from out of Jek's lifeless form and took over the shape of Nyx's body, adjusting to her curves and other shapes, until it seemed to match her form-except for the fact that it had Jek's strange, glowing red eyes.

Mi jerked her arm away from Jek's body, which fell to the floor. She fought back the urge to vomit, then turned to Nyx.

The Irken girl was sitting up, coughing slightly, moving in jerky motions, adjusting to the new shadow. Everyone stared and waited, then she turned and said with a Cheshire Cat smile, "About time someone squashed that damn bumblebee!"

And then everyone fell upon her with relieved, happy talk.

Mi buried her face in the older girl's shoulder, sobbing, "I had to! I…had to….he was going to-"

"I know chick, I know.", Nyx whispered.

"I had to do it…for Zell…", she murmured. Nyx's heart throbbed unevenly at the name. Why? Why did that have to happen to him? He was innocent. He hadn't deserved that ending.

Zane was standing with Val, looking down at the corpse of his worst enemy.

"Hard to believe we were once friends. Or that he once, he was sane.", Zane said thoughtfully. There was no sound of sadness in his deep voice.

"I remember that day you met me…hard to believe you were in a gang.", Val said with a dark smile. They both looked at each other, then embraced warmly.

"Its over. Its finally over.", Val whispered.

"Um, no, it isn't guys!", Zim gasped. Everyone leaped back to fighting stances, wearily now, and stared at the door.

Its slid open suddenly, and several dark figures were visible. They stepped in, and it turned out to be several Midnighters, cloaked in the red and black fatigues. A Syon with a missing tail and large chunk out of one ear stepped forward, then said in a growling voice, "What happened in here?"

"Well," Zane said, "We just killed your leader."

Cue disbelieving stares from the crew.

And relieved ones from the Midnighters.

"Wha-really?", the Syon gasped, his ripped ears pricking.

"Yes, really. Now, if you don't mind, we want to go home. So move.", Zane said. More disbelieving stares.

"I dunno…what to do….", the Syon mumbled. Everyone bristled when he started talking with his partner. Then, moments later, he looked up with a beaming, toothy smile.

"Thank you! You've freed us from his reign!"

Zane positively beamed. "Well, Doraiku, I think you're in debt to us!"

Doraiku stared in surprise. "How do you know my name?"

"I knew you're brother. Now, let's go get patched up, shall we?", Zane smiled, and the stunned, weary heroes of our story left the scene of doom, chaos, and murder behind them, embracing the light of the newly freed warriors.

**(Think it's a happy ending? You're thinking wrong! Bwhahahahahaha! The next chapter is a clarification chapter, and then an epilogue. Once again, thanks for reading!)**


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